Espresso Martini: A Boozy Concoction with a Caffeinated Twist I f your go-to cocktail is a Martini but you’re feeling a little drained fr...
Espresso Martini: A Boozy Concoction with a Caffeinated Twist
If your go-to cocktail is a Martini but you’re feeling a little drained from your day as you head out to the bar, or perhaps need to chase off food coma after a lovely meal, an Espresso Martini might just be what you’re looking for. It’s made with espresso, as you have likely guessed from the name, vodka, and coffee liqueur with a little sugar syrup thrown in for good measure.
It is sheer brilliance served in a cocktail glass, just as a true Martini is presented. You have part alcohol to soothe away those jangled nerves and part caffeine to pick you up. Naturally, with such a smart cocktail creation, many stories have emerged as to who is the rightful creator of the Espresso Martini.
One of the most believed tale of cocktail lore posits that a British bartender named Dick Bradsell fashioned it in the late 1980s for a woman at the Brasserie Soho in London. Accordingly, she asked for something that would wake her up as well as give her a rightful buzz. With a coffee machine right beside his drink station, and vodka as the go-to spirit of the time, it merely made sense to him to combine the two.
Other versions of the Espresso Martini origin claim that Dick Bradsell was the bartender at Fred’s Club. It also claims that the woman in question was none other than supermodel Kate Moss. Whatever you believe though, you can be sure of one thing: an extraordinary libation was born in the late 1980s in London that combined espresso and vodka.
Recipes differ depending on who is making it, but it seems to be a fun one to explore with. After all, what can go wrong when you pair strong-brewed coffee with vodka? In fact, you can easily make one at your own home bar if you’re so inclined.
To try your hand at bartender/barista, you’ll need 2 ounces of vodka, 1/2 ounce of Kahlua, 1 ounce of freshly-brewed espresso, and 1/2 ounce of simple syrup. Fill up your cocktail shaker with ice and add all the ingredients in. Shake it well and then strain it into an awaiting chilled cocktail glass. Want to class it up even more? Add a garnish of 3 coffee beans.
That’s how it’s done though if all you’ve got is instant coffee in your pantry, perhaps it’s time to grab your coat and head to your favorite local bar for an Espresso Martini or two to start your night off right or cap it off all the same.
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