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Home Β» Recipes Β» Drinks

December 9, 2022

Espresso Martini Recipe

Published December 9, 2022 | Julia Frey (Vikalinka)

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Have you ever tried Espresso Martini? This gorgeous pick me up drink is delicious and easy to make!

Looking for another caffeine fix? Why not make our speedy Amaretti Tiramisu or Salted Caramel Affogato!

Two cocktail glasses

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When I used to teach and come home late and exhausted on Friday nights, my husband would almost immediately hand me a beautiful glass filled with an espresso martini.

That was to celebrate the end of yet another long and tiring week and to ensure I wouldn’t fade or worse fall asleep as soon as I settled on a sofa! He usually had plans for our Friday nights. Espresso martini has stuck as our favourite transition treat, marking the end of a work week and the start of weekend relaxation.

Espresso Martinis being poured through strainer

Espresso Martini is a great cocktail if you are a coffee lover. It’s refreshing, invigorating and plain delicious!

 

Smooth espresso shot plus sweet liqueur aided by the powerful kick of vodka, this cocktail delivers the kick we usually expect of coffee. It wakes us up! Not a bad thing during the busy holiday season.

Espresso Martini from the top down

How do you make it?

The standard recipe consists of a shot of espresso, vodka and a coffee liqueur. There are many variations that use either Kahlua or Baileys. We prefer using Kahlua but any coffee liqueur will do.

The proportions for this recipe are 2:1:1, which means two parts vodka, and one part each of coffee liqueur and espresso. I find that measuring with a digital scale is the easiest method, but use whatever is simplest for you.

Pour all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice and shake well, but not longer than 10 seconds or the ice with break down and dilute the drink. Pour into cold cocktail glasses, through a fine strainer if you have one.

Top tips

  • To get the most delicious espresso martini you need to use a freshly made and slightly cooled espresso but we’ve also experimented with using Conker’s Cold Brew Liqueur that replaced espresso.
  • After a few tries with various ingredients, we settled on fresh espresso. No instant coffee or instant espresso powder will do the trick.
  • The rule with cocktails is that colder is always better, and it applies to espresso martini as well. Shake with plenty of ice to get it as cold as you possibly can.
  • Cool the glasses before pouring the martini in by adding them to a freezer or filling them with ice while you make the drink. This helps keep the drink cold and gives a frosted glass look.
  • A bit of foam looks amazing on this drink. Shake vigorously to generate foam, and pour through a fine strainer.
  • No garnish is needed, but floating a couple of coffee beans on top is simple but looks elegant.
Espresso Martini being poured into glass

Espresso Martini variations

The beauty of this drink is that it is simple to construct. That means that you can easily modify it according to your taste.

Do you like a creamy cocktail? Adding an Irish cream liqueur like Baileys will make this a creamier cocktail.

Or you can splash a bit of a chocolate liqueur into the shaker to give it a more decadent taste.

A dalgona espresso martini is a fun variation using sugar and instant coffee. Instructions for how to make this are in the notes of the recipe card!

More cocktail recipes

  • Brandy Alexander Cocktail
  • Pomegranate French 75
  • Cherry Long Island Iced Tea
  • Lemon Drop Martini
Two cocktail glasses

Espresso Martini

Julia Frey of Vikalinka
This Espresso Martini is a vodka based cocktail that is refreshing, invigorating and plain delicious.
5 from 6 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 10 minutes mins
Course drink
Cuisine British
Servings 1
Calories 230 kcal

Equipment

  • This is an affiliate link.Cocktail shaker

Ingredients
  

  • 2 oz This is an affiliate link.vodka
  • 1 oz coffee liqueur such as Kahlua or Tia Maria
  • 1 oz espresso

Instructions
 

  • Combine vodka, coffee liqueur and espresso in a cocktail shaker filled with lots of ice and shake until the cocktail shaker is too cold to hold.
  • Pour in a chilled martini glass and garnish with a coffee bean if desired. 

Video

Notes

To make Dalgona Espresso Martini
  • Mix 2 tbsp. instant coffee with 2 tbsp granulated sugar and 2 tbsp boiling water. Whip with an electric mixer till light and foamy.
  • Top espresso martini with the mix. 

Nutrition

Calories: 230kcalCarbohydrates: 13gSodium: 6mgSugar: 13g
Keyword espresso martini
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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2623 shares
  • 4

About Julia Frey (Vikalinka)

Julia Frey is a London based recipe developer and photographer. Julia founded Vikalinka in 2012 with the main mission to provide her readers with delicious and accessible everyday recipes, which could be enjoyed by everyone.
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Denny Felizzi says

    at

    5 stars
    Lucky for me i just got a new espresso machine!
    I made one 12 minutes ago. And i WILL be having another (possibly more?)
    Very tasty. Super easy to make.
    Thank you very much. Great recipe!!!

    Reply
    • Julia Frey (Vikalinka) says

      at

      So thrilled you enjoyed it, Denny!

      Reply
  2. Sammie says

    at

    5 stars
    Such a beautiful winter drink. Not that it only has to be made during winter, it reminds me of dark winter evenings. Absolutely perfect.

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

      at

      Thanks so much, Sammie!

      Reply
  3. Bevyn Cassidy says

    at

    5 stars
    Oh wow! What a beautiful drink that sounds so easy to make!

    Reply
  4. Cat | Curly's Cooking says

    at

    5 stars
    These look so sophisticated and love the story behind them πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

      at

      Thanks so much, Cat! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  5. Claire Jessiman says

    at

    This is my absolute favourite post dinner cocktail but I’ve never attempted it as home as always assumed it would be way more complicated that the method you’ve shared – so thanks!

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

      at

      It’s a really easy one, Claire! I love that only three ingredients are needed to enjoy it at home!

      Reply
  6. Lucy Parissi says

    at

    5 stars
    I can’t think of a better way to start the weekend than with an Espresso Martini on a Friday evening. It sounds as easy to make as it would be to drink.

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

      at

      Agreed!! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  7. Prajakta Sukhatme says

    at

    5 stars
    What a perfect pick me up drink recipe. I love the combination of espresso and splash of vodka ! Cheers to good times

    Reply
    • vikalinka says

      at

      Thanks so much, Prajakta!

      Reply

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Julia from Vikalinka

Julia Frey is a London based recipe developer and photographer. Julia founded Vikalinka in 2012 with the main mission to provide her readers with delicious and accessible everyday recipes, which could be enjoyed by everyone.

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Julia Frey is a London based recipe developer and photographer. Julia founded Vikalinka in 2012 with the main mission to provide her readers with delicious and accessible everyday recipes, which could be enjoyed by everyone.

More about me β†’


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