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Espresso MartiniVodka · Espresso · Liqueur
  • 2 oz vodka
  • 1 oz espresso
  • ½ oz coffee liqueur
1983Year of creation

Classic cocktail

Espresso Martini

Vodka · Espresso · Liqueur

Vodka, fresh espresso and coffee liqueur shaken hard enough to raise a foam. A drink built to wake you up and keep you out.

On the shelf tonight
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GlassCoupe or martini glass
MethodShake hard
GarnishThree coffee beans
StrengthMedium
The story1983Soho Brasserie, London

A request at the bar, 1983.Dick Bradsell was behind the bar at the Soho Brasserie when a customer asked for something that would wake her up. The coffee machine stood next to the bar, so he pulled a shot, shook it with vodka, coffee liqueur and sugar, and served it. He called it the Vodka Espresso.

The glass gave it the name.In the 1990s everything went into a martini glass, and the Vodka Espresso followed. The name stuck, though there is no vermouth anywhere near it. What matters is the espresso: it has to be fresh, because the crema is what shakes into the foam that the three beans sit on.

Today. Thirty years on it is back on every list, and the bottle choice is the whole argument: a clean vodka lets the coffee lead, and the liqueur sets how sweet the glass ends up.

Ingredients
  • VodkaAbsolut Vodka · $21.992 oz
  • Coffee liqueurKahlúa · $29.99½ oz
  • Espresso, freshly pulled and still hotFrom your kitchen1 oz
  • Simple syrup, to tasteFrom your kitchen¼ oz
  • Coffee beans, for the garnishFrom your kitchen3
Two bottles make about 12 drinks, with a lot of liqueur to spare. The set, at the prices on the shelf:$51.98
Preparation
1

Pull a shot of espresso and let it cool for a minute while you fill a shaker with ice.

2

Add 2 oz vodka, ½ oz coffee liqueur, the espresso and a little syrup if you take it sweet.

3

Shake hard for 15 seconds. The harder you shake, the thicker the foam.

4

Double-strain into a chilled coupe and float three coffee beans on the foam.

Never instant coffee. Without crema there is no foam, and without foam it is a cold coffee with vodka in it.

Same glass, one bottle swapped

Each a drink of its own, each bottle on the shelf tonight
With bourbonBourbon in for the vodka. Vanilla and oak under the coffee.1792 12 YEARS$69.99

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Two bottles make about 12 drinks, with a lot of liqueur to spare.Pay at the counter, 860 Atlantic Ave.
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UNDER STATE LAW, ANY PACKAGE STORE IS ENTITLED TO BUY ANY ITEM OF LIQUOR OR WINE SHOWN IN THIS ADVERTISEMENT AT THE SAME PRICE PAID BY THE STORES LISTED IN THIS AD. UNDER STATE LAW, RETAILERS MAY NOT SELL LIQUOR OR WINE BELOW LEGALLY ESTABLISHED MINIMUM PRICES. THE LISTED STORES ARE INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED, THEY ARE NOT A CHAIN AND ARE NOT A COOPERATIVE BUYING GROUP.