Espresso Martini Recipe

Name: Espresso Martini
Prep time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 ounce kahlua; 1½ ounces vodka; 1 ounce espresso; ⅛ teaspoon salt (optional); 1 egg white (optional); 3 espresso beans (for garnish)

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This Espresso Martini is pure sophistication! This classic cocktail is made with Kahlua, Vodka, and Espresso. Rich, bold, and delicious! This recipe also includes a couple of optional ingredients for a thick foam and to cut the bitterness!

two espresso martini in fancy martini glass on yellow tray with title overlay at top of image and bottles in background

A pick me up and a stress relief all in one glass; what else could you need? This deliciously addictive espresso martini has been a life saver in the last year.

Sometimes we just need a drink, but we also need caffeine because we still need to get things done! You get the best of both worlds with this recipe.

What is an Espresso Martini?

An espresso martini is a delicious mix of vodka, coffee liquor, and espresso. Made with Kahlua, Vodka, and Espresso this drink is rich, bold, and delicious!

This recipe also includes a couple of optional ingredients for a thick foam and to cut the bitterness!

This delicious cocktail recipe is the perfect after dinner drink or can be served with a special dinner menu. Perfect for Valentine’s Day!

What To Serve With an Espresso Martini

For me, I crave chocolate so much with coffee so I like to pair this cocktail with deep, rich, chocolate desserts. Try these:

Espresso Martini with Baileys

A fun twist on this recipe is to substitute the Kahlua with Baileys. The rest of the recipe stays the same and you get a brand new martini!

espresso martini recipe in two glasses on yellow glass tray top down view

Espresso Martini Ingredients

This classic cocktail is pure sophistication! Make sure you splurge on the ingredients for the perfect taste. Here’s what you need:

Kahula: This is a coffee liqueur which adds a deliciously chocolatey flavor. You can also use Bailey’s but you would get a slightly stronger taste and alcohol content.
Vodka: Cheap vodka just won’t do the trick. I would suggest Grey Goose, Smirnoff, or Absolut.
Espresso: You can’t quite get the pick me up you want without the espresso. You can use any espresso you like (buy it or make it at home), but I prefer Nespresso! This is another moderately priced espresso machine.
Egg white (optional): If you prefer a super foamy topping on your espresso martini, you can also include an egg white. If you use an egg white you’ll want to do a dry shake (see below) or you can whip it separately using a whisk or an immersion blender (that’s what I did here – I like that the foam stays white for presentation, if shaken it will be more of a light brown)
Salt (optional): Adding salt helps neutralize the acidity and bitterness of the espresso making this drink more smooth, creamy and delicious.

espresso martini being poured into glass from gold rimmed shaker

Can I Use Coffee Instead of Espresso?

If you use coffee instead of espresso, you’re making a coffee martini! While still delicious, it will not be as smooth tasting or as creamy as when made with espresso.

This is because coffee beans and espresso beans are prepared differently. Espresso is generally roasted for a longer amount of time than beans that are meant for coffee. Additionally, espresso beans are ground finer more like sand than gravel.

What is a Dry Shake?

A dry shake is when you shake the ingredients in the cocktail shaker without ice for 15 seconds, then add the ice and continue to shake, this helps the egg white foam up. If you do this, make sure your espresso isn’t super hot when you add it.

How to Make Espresso Martini

Because of the alcohol content, this recipe only makes one drink, but you can always make more. Follow the steps below to enjoy in just 5-minutes!

Decide if you want foamy topping or not. If you want a foamy topping to your espresso martini, you will need to do a dry shake. Shake all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker without ice. Then, add ice and continue to step 3.
Combine Ingredients. Fill your cocktail shaker halfway full with ice. Add your kahlua, vodka, and espresso as well as the salt if you choose.
Shake it Up. Then, shake the shaker vigorously for 30-seconds. You will be looking for a cold, foamy mixture.
Enjoy. Strain into a martini glass, garnish with espresso beans (optional), and serve.

how to make espresso martini 4 image collage showing each ingredient being added

Espresso Martini FAQs

Can I double the recipe?

To double the recipe, all you need to do is double the ingredients. You may have to use less ice if you plan to use the same shaker. To make doubling any recipe easier, consider getting a 24 ounce cocktail shaker!

How do I get the crema (the foamy looking top part) on top of the espresso martini?

There are two ways:
The first: If you prefer a super foamy topping on your espresso martini, you can also include an egg white. If you use an egg white you’ll want to do a dry shake (see above) or you can whip it separately using a whisk or an immersion blender.

The second: To create the crema without an egg white, you really mus shake the shaker as hard as possible so that the natural oils in the espresso combine with air bubbles creating the crema. Give the shaker several taps and swirl the shaker after shaking to ensure that foam is there.

Other Coffee Recipes You May Enjoy

For those of you that love coffee flavored recipes as much as I do, here are some of my other favs:

Every day is a new adventure, but it can go from sluggish and stressful to sophisticated and delicious in just 5-minutes! If you don’t need this recipe today, pin it for later because you will one day!

two espresso martinis on a yellow glass tray with espresso beans scattered about

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How To Make An Espresso Martini

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