Espresso Martini

Fresh espresso and a genuinely hard shake. The crema proteins in freshly pulled espresso aerate into that dense tan foam — shake like you’re angry at it for a full 15 seconds and strain immediately. Cold brew won’t foam the same way.

Yes — strong moka-pot coffee or even instant espresso powder dissolved in a little hot water works. You lose some crema (foam), but a hard shake still raises a respectable head. Let hot coffee cool a minute so it doesn’t melt the ice instantly.

The traditional garnish represents health, wealth and happiness — and gives the nose a hit of coffee before the first sip. Lay them in the center of the foam.

It carries roughly the caffeine of a single espresso — about 60 mg, plus a little from the coffee liqueur. Caffeine takes 5–6 hours to halve in your system, so a late-night round genuinely can cost you sleep. Decaf espresso shakes up identically.

A classic Espresso Martini calls for 45 ml (1.5 oz) Vodka, 15 ml (0.5 oz) Coffee liqueur, 30 ml (1 oz) Fresh espresso, 8 ml (0.25 oz) Simple syrup. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.

A standard Espresso Martini is roughly 21% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it spirit-forward — closer to a Martini than to a beer, so sip it slowly.

An Espresso Martini is shaken. About 13 seconds with plenty of ice chills and dilutes it correctly.