An espresso martini is fairly easy to make. Mix together vodka, coffee liquor, creme de cacao, and espresso in a cocktail shaker. But if you want a nice thick frothy top to hold a 3 espresso bean garnish, we have four pro tips you need to know before you can call yourself a weekend mixologist.
Hello my friends.
What do you do when you want to have a cocktail, and you need a little pick-me-up at the same time? You have an espresso martini of course. A frothy espresso martini is the perfect drink to get your night started, or something to brighten your eyes half-way through your night. If made perfectly, there’s nice creamy foam on top where you put a few espresso beans as a garnish. If you are out on the town with friends, just don’t ask the bartender to make 23 of them... story ahead.
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23 Espresso Martinis & 3 Unhappy Bartenders
Last year we were in Grand Cayman and had a wonderful time, part of which was sitting at the Anchor & Den Bar where we met two of the bartenders, Danny and Bojan. One night we asked Danny what drink bartenders hated making the most. He said an espresso martini because there’s the extra step of brewing the espresso and waiting for it, so the total drink takes a long time, and they get backed up on making other drinks. When he had some free time, he made us one.
The next night when we were at the bar, a guy came up and ordered 3 espresso martinis for him and two girls he was with from the large convention group that checked into the hotel that afternoon. The girls loved the cocktails and started telling all their coworkers about them. Twenty minutes later, they ordered 23 espresso martinis (no lie, no exaggeration). We watched as all three bartenders hustled to make them, and I can’t say it was done with a smile. Sorry guys. Of course, our joke the next few nights was to sit at the bar and order 23 creamy espresso martinis.
When we got home to Miami, we sent a DM to one of the bartenders to get their recipe, and I’m now sharing it with you. The recipe isn’t anything too special as far as creamy espresso martinis go, but I think Danny and Bojan made it look special by the glass they put it in, and the amount of foam that was on top from them shaking it up so long. So, it’s a fairly easy recipe that you can definitely make yourself at home.
How to Make an Espresso Martini
Making an espresso martini is fairly easy. In a cocktail shaker with ice, you put in vanilla vodka (regular vodka is okay if you don't have vanilla vodka), coffee liquor (Kahlúa), creme de cacao, and a shot of espresso. Shake it and strain it into a martini glass. If you shook long enough, you will have a nice froth on top to hold 3 coffee beans as a garnish. That’s it. Pretty easy. But if you want a nice foam on top, there are a four tips below to make you look like a pro.
Can I make an Espresso Martini with Coffee?
If you are making your espresso martini at home and you don’t have espresso or an espresso machine, and you're not trying to impress anybody, just use coffee. If you’re going to make coffee especially for this cocktail, make it extra strong. Also fyi, using coffee will not give you a foamy top unless you use pro tip #4 below. By the way, the time it takes to make this coffee cocktail in the recipe card below does not include making the espresso or coffee.
4 Pro Tips for Perfect Frothy Foam on your Espresso Martini
To get a very frothy top on top of your espresso martini, you need to shake, shake, shake the mixture for a few seconds past when you think your arms will fall off (minimum 20 seconds). Be sure to use regular ice cubes, or even crushed ice, not large square "display" ice cubes. The ice needs to near-freeze all the liquid and the ice needs to break up in the shaker. If you remember ahead of time, put your empty, clean martini glasses in the freezer so they are nice and cold when you are ready to make your cocktail.
Once you are done shaking, don’t let the drink sit around. Pour it right into the chilled martini glass, put on the coffee bean garnish, and serve your cocktail. The froth is made from the drink being shaken and cold. As it warms up, the froth will start to reduce.
Espresso Martini Foam PRO TIP #1:
Using freshly brewed espresso including the crema (creamy foam that comes out of the espresso machine) is imperative to a rich foamy martini. If you want extra caffeine in your drink, you may be tempted to put in more than 1 shot of espresso. Be warned that if you add the black liquid espresso without the crema, it will dilute the mixture and you won’t get that foam top as much as you expect. If you use coffee instead of espresso, it will still taste great, but give up trying to have a nice foam top. Try a cold brew coffee which will help boost your chances.
Espresso Martini Foam PRO TIP #2:
I find that of the three alcohols, it’s the coffee liqueur (Kahlúa) and the creme de cacao that help create the froth, not the vodka. If you find that you don’t have enough froth for your liking, and can’t bear to shake it any longer, add another ½ ounce each of kahlua and creme de cacao, and shake again. That may do the trick. Also, if you don't have creme de cacao, some espresso martinis are made with some simple syrup instead.
Espresso Martini Foam PRO TIP #3:
Almost all of our drink recipes are for two people. When you are pouring drinks for two, and especially when there is foam involved, be sure to fill both cocktail glasses halfway, and then complete them. The foam will be at the end. If you pour one full drink and then the other, all the foam will be in one glass and not the other.
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Espresso Martini Foam SUPER SECRET PRO TIP #4:
OK, don’t tell this to anyone. Professional bartenders will either be mad at me for sharing this, or call it sacrilege and deny even knowing about it. But if you listen really close I can whisper it to you...
If you have trouble getting your espresso martini to foam, add a half teaspoon of aquafaba. That’s the juice that a jar of garbanzo beans (chickpeas) comes in. It doesn’t affect the flavor and will definitely ensure you have a nice frothy top that sticks around for a long time. But you didn’t hear about that from me ;)
Another option, one of our followers Michael mentioned in the comments below, is that you can use 1oz of egg whites. Either one of these options will help guarantee a nice frothy top on your espresso martini.
We brought back some other cocktails from our stay at the Anchor & Den. We’re still working on publishing some of them, but for now you should seriously check out the Bloomsbury Garden Cocktail, and let us know what you think.
Interested in more Delicious Cocktails? Here are 9 more from our collection:
- Blood Orange Vodka Soda Cocktail
- Leap Year Cocktail
- Fig Vodka Martini
- Grilled Orange Margarita
- Grilled Pineapple Mojito
- Margarita Slush with Cucumber, Honey, and Thyme
- French Martini
- Gin Violette Cocktail
- Tropical Peach Mango Rum Punch
Hopefully you learned something new today about the espresso martini and how to get a great foam head. If so, let me know in the comments below. I would love to see how making this cocktail goes for you. Share your photo when you make this martini tagging @Spoonabilities on Instagram, and leave a comment or photo on pinterest so we can see what you made. Have fun!
Cheers,
Geoffrey
Spoonabilities' official cocktail maker and drinker
How to Make the Best Frothy Espresso Martini
- Total Time: 3 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
Description
Making an espresso martini is fairly easy. You need a cocktail shaker, vodka (vanilla vodka if you have it), coffee liquor (Kahlúa), creme de cacao, a shot of espresso, and some espresso beans for a garnish. The only other thing you need is some stamina to shake for 20 seconds. If you want a nice foam on top, we explain 4 pro tips to make you look like a pro.
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Ingredients
- 4oz of vanilla vodka (regular vodka if you don't have vanilla)
- 2oz of Kahlua Coffee Liqueur
- 2oz of creme de cacao
- 2oz (2 shots) espresso
Instructions
- Pour and Shake: Put all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake, shake, shake for at least 20 seconds.
- Strain in a chilled martini glass.
- Garnish: If you shook it enough, there will be enough froth on top to hold 3 coffee beans as a garnish.
Notes
Drink responsibly. If you are under the legal drinking age limit for your state or country, this recipe is not for you. Sorry.
See the full Espresso Martini recipe post above for 4 pro tips for perfect frothy foam to hold your espresso bean garnish
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Category: cocktail
- Method: cocktail shaker
- Cuisine: British
Suggested Ingredients & Equipment
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Hey there, I'm Carlos, a food and drink enthusiast, recipe blogger and 
Will
Hi there,
Was wondering as I'm European, how many ml is one 1oz (30ml?) or must 1 say 1 bar jigger? Would love to have the answer so I can try this recipe for newyear!
Cheers!
Geoffrey Swetz
Hi Will.
Yes, 1oz is 30ml. I'm glad that you asked because we do have a US to Metric conversion feature on our recipes, and it is not showing up on this one. I'm looking into why. Meanwhile, yes you can multiply 30ml for each ounce (29.5 technically). Also 1 espresso shot is typically 1oz, so 2 of them would be 60ml. Finally, be aware that our recipe is for 2 servings. Enjoy! Happy New Year!!!
Michael
If I don't want to use creme de cacao would I A) Double the Kahlua B) just omit it.
I made own last night prior to this recipe using 4oz Grey Goose, 2oz home brewed espresso and about 3 oz Kahlua. I didn't get a good foam but think because
1) I used a single large 2" square ice cube
2) Didn't shake enough
3) Since I cooled the espresson in the fridge I lost the foam.
I think next time,(depending on your feedback on my question) I'm going to:
1) Just let the espresso cool not refrigerate it so I don't lose the foam
2) Use regular even crushed ice cubes
3) Shake more
4) Use the trick I do for Bourbon Sours and add 1oz of fresh egg white.
Geoffrey Swetz
Hi Michael,
To answer your initial question, yes you can leave out the creme de cacao, and add some more Kahlua if you like. Some people make espresso martinis with 1/4 oz simple syrup so you can substitute that also - use 1/2 oz for our recipe which is for 2 people/martinis.
Regarding the rest of your message, everything you mentioned is correct....
1) When mixing/shaking the martini, you need to use regular ice cubes, or even crushed ice cubes as you suggested. The large square ice cubes are best to use in a rocks glass for drinks that are more clear so that the cube makes a statement.
2) And yes, you need to shake at least 20 seconds, and it's the crema (foam from the espresso) that really makes a nice foamy martini.
3) Finally, yes you can use fresh egg whites to help guarantee a nice foamy top. Our pro tip #4 above is to use aquafaba, but egg whites work perfectly also, and are more common for both bartenders and the public.
Enjoy! And THANK YOU for your comment! I'm going to edit our recipe post a little to make it clear about the ice and the egg whites. Appreciate the suggestion.
Elizabeth Colon
I made this recipe and it was delicious and beautiful!!!!
Geoffrey Swetz
Hi Elizabeth, your comment makes us happy :) We love hearing people making our recipes and enjoying them. Thank you for taking the time to let us know!
Kathleen
Hello, I can’t wait to try this recipe, but have a question. Can I buy cold espresso in the refrigerated section of the market? The same place they sell cold brewed coffee. Will it still be as yummy?
Thank you,
Kathleen
Geoffrey Swetz
Hi Kathleen. That's a great question which we'll have to try. It would save a step and not add extra heat to the drink. I would say Go For It! The martini MAY not have as much foam on top, but you can use any of our tips on the recipe post to help with that. Either way it will definitely be yummy and easier.