Espresso Martini

This recipe makes the best espresso martini! It’s perfect for dessert, brunch or mix some to kick off a fun night. It’s tastes strong, balanced and has a creamy, foamy top. If you love coffee, you have to try this recipe.

Making cocktails at home does NOT have to be intimidating. This one is super delicious and super easy, and it only calls for three ingredients! An espresso martini is a great to serve to guests just before or after dinner.

This martini grew popular in the 1980s, and it’s easy to see why! Combining the rich, strong coffee flavor with alcohol makes for a delicious drink.

Related: Cosmo Recipe, Lychee Martini, 45+ Cocktails to Make At Home and 12 Easy Martini Recipes

Looking For More Espresso-Flavored Recipes?

• Espresso Cookies
• Espresso Marshmallows
• Iced Mocha
• Homemade Frappuccino

Before making your espresso martini, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind. First, you will want to use espresso instead of regular or instant coffee. It’s important for the flavor profile.

Next, it’s important to let the espresso chill before adding it to the ice and alcohol so that it does not melt the ice.

The foam is an important part of this cocktail, both for flavor and presentation. It’s kind of like when you order a latte, the more foam the better! The foam comes from shaking in a cocktail shaker.

Espresso Martini Ingredients

• 1 shot (about 1.5 ounces) espresso
• 2 ounces vodka
• 1/2 ounce Kahlua or another coffee liqueur
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup – optional but I always add it
• coffee beans for garnish

This will make one drink. You can easily make two at once in the same shaker by doubling the ingredients.

Espresso Martini Recipe

1. Make your espresso and allow to cool (otherwise, it will melt your ice). If you’re in a hurry, you can put it in the refrigerator.
2. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and pour in the espresso, vodka, Kahlua and simple syrup if using.
3. Shake until chilled. This will also create the froth for foam.
4. Stain and pour into two chilled glasses.
5. Garnish with a few coffee beans. 

Bonus points if you chill your martini glasses in the freezer ahead of time.

Home Espresso Makers

We’ve tried many espresso makers over the years, and here are our favorites at different price points and skill levels:

• Cafe Automatic Espresso Machine – My current machine. It uses any whole beans, so if you use high quality beans you’ll get high quality espresso. It makes espresso shots automatically (no barista skills required) and includes a milk frothing wand to heat and froth milk. We’ve used this machine almost every day since we got it seven months ago and we love it! It comes in three colors.
• Breville Barista Touch – We bought this for a good friend as a wedding gift once and they said they love it. It’s a higher end machine that you will need some barista skills to operate, but it’s an excellent home espresso maker.
• Nespresso Vertuo – For those who want an espresso maker that uses pods, this is my favorite. Depending what pod you use, it can make espresso or coffee.
• MiniPresso machine will make you a single shot of espresso by adding boiling water into one end, your grinds into the other, and then you pump a button that pops out.

Not only is this espresso martini delicious, but it can be a great conversation starter. I know I’m a little bit more talkative when I have a little jolt of caffeine in my system.

Other Martinis To Try:

• Easy Chocolate Martini
• Spiced Pumpkin Pie Martini
• Lemon Drop Martini
• Key Lime Martini

Guests will be super impressed by the chilled glasses and coffee bean garnish. It’s the little things, right? Happy cocktail making! xo. Emma

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4.67 from 6 votes

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Get the Recipe

Create this iconic espresso martini with just 3 ingredients.

Yield 1

Prep 3 minutes mins

Cook 2 minutes mins

Total 5 minutes mins

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 shots espresso (about 1 ½ ounces each )
• ▢ 2 ounces vodka
• ▢ ½ ounce Kahlua
• ▢ ½ ounce simple syrup
• ▢ coffee beans (for garnish)

Equipment

• ▢
  1 espresso machine optional, but recommended

Instructions

• Make your espresso and allow it to chill.
• Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and pour in the espresso, vodka, Kahlua and simple syrup.
• Shake until chilled.
• Strain and pour into a chilled glasses.
• Garnish with a few coffee beans and serve. 

Notes

To chill your glasses, simply place them in the freezer a few minutes (5-6) before you need them.

© Author Emma Chapman

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Keywords epresso martini, espresso

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Espresso Martini

Amount per Serving

Calories

220

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

0.1

g

0

%

Saturated Fat

 

0.04

g

0

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

0.04

g

Sodium

 

14

mg

1

%

Potassium

 

44

mg

1

%

Carbohydrates

 

18

g

6

%

Sugar

 

17

g

19

%

Protein

 

0.1

g

0

%

Vitamin C

 

0.1

mg

0

%

Calcium

 

2

mg

0

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.