Kahlua Espresso Martini

Kahlua Espresso Martini Recipe
Photo by Kike Salazar N / Unsplash

Espresso Martini History

In the 1980s, vodka was a seriously popular drink. Famous bartender Dick Bradsell recounts that the coffee machine was next to his work station in Fred's Club, Soho, and stated that coffee was "very much on my mind". A woman asked Dick to create something that would "wake me up, and then f**k me up", and the Espresso Martini was born.

The Espresso Martini has enjoyed a surge in popularity recently. It is served in a martini glass with three coffee beans floating on top of the drink's creamy surface. This garnish is inspired by the traditional Italian serving of sambuca topped with three coffee beans, called "con la mosca" or "with the fly" - representing 'health, wealth and happiness'.

How to make an Espresso Martini

Espresso Martini Ingredients:

50 ml vodka
30 ml coffee liqueur (like Kahlúa or Tia Maria)
10 ml sugar syrup
1 hot espresso shot

Espresso Martini Instructions:

  1. Pour all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.
  2. Shake well.
  3. Strain into a martini glass.
  4. Garnish with three coffee beans.