Created in early 1980’s London by cocktail aficionado Dick Bradsell during his time at the Soho Brasserie, the ‘Vodka Espresso’ was equal parts of Espresso to vodka with a dash of sugar syrup, served over ice in a short glass. Adapted in the 1990’s during the Martini craze, the drink we now commonly know was reborn as the Espresso Martini.
The three coffee beans garnished on top of Espresso Martinis are said to represent health, wealth and happiness - gaining inspiration from how Sambuca is traditionally served in Italy called ‘Con La Mosca’ meaning ‘with the fly’.
Coffee is the benchmark of everything we do at BEAR, so it goes without saying that we’re super proud of our Espresso Martini recipe. Wanna know our secret? Keep reading.
YOU WILL NEED
- A cocktail jigger, or a way to accurately measure out millilitres.
- A cocktail shaker. Don’t have one? Any leak-proof container like a flask will work wonders.
- A cocktail strainer. A sieve will work too.
- Freshly extracted Espresso. Hit up our Espresso recipe here if you need help with this.
- 40ml Coffee liqueur (we use Mr. Black Cold Brew liqueur in our stores.)
- 20ml Vodka (we use Absolut Original in our stores.)
- 15ml sugar syrup. This is super-easy to make if you can’t get hold of any, simply mix equal parts of granulated sugar to hot water, stir until dissolved and allow to cool before using.
- Ice cubes.
- A drinking vessel of your choice. A coupe, tumbler, upturned bowler hat, etc.
METHOD
- First things first, produce your Espresso. We recommend using freshly brewed Espresso wherever possible to produce the best flavour possible in your cocktail. Got a coffee pod machine? We also have a great recipe using coffee pods here.
- Whilst your Espresso is extracting add your coffee liqueur, vodka and sugar syrup to your shaker. Always add your Espresso last to keep this as fresh as possible.
- Add a good scoop of ice cubes to your shaker. You’re looking to fill your tin roughly about halfway - overfilling your shaker will cause your shaker to pop open. Pop some ice into your chosen drinking vessel to get this nice and cold while preparing your cocktail.
- Seal your shaker and get shaking! Around 15-20 seconds at a good pace should be enough! If you’re using a cocktail shaker you’re looking for the tin to be frosted over.
- Unseal your shaker, get rid of the ice from your drinking vessel and strain immediately into it.
- Garnish your cocktail with three coffee beans in a centred triangle.
- Take a photo and make all your mates jealous. Don’t forget to actually drink it too!
