The story goes that a supermodel walked into a bar and asked the bartender to make her a drink that’ll wake her up, then mess her up; only she didn’t use the word mess ; Only she used a more colourful version of mess! That supermodel is rumoured to be either Kate Moss or Naomi Campbell and the bartender credited with creating the Espresso Martini is Dick Bradsell.
While the origin story might seem a bit dramatic, the resultant cocktail had a successful first run through the 80s and 90s and is now back in style, much like other amazing (and often atrocious 90s trends). Should we thank Tik Tok, a celebrity or Gen Z for this resurgence? Will we ever know?
The perfect espresso martini begins with the perfect cup of espresso. Don’t worry I’m not asking you to run to your corner coffee shop – you can get the perfect cup right at home with the Wonderchef Regalia 15 Bar Espresso Machine! Pump driven machines like the Regalia make exceptionally better coffees as compared to machines that are steam driven. The Regalia machine uses a pump to push hot water through the coffee grounds. The machine is also so easy to install, use and clean. I also particularly love Wonderchef’s instructional YouTube videos that help familiarise you with their products. It’s not enough to buy a great machine, you have to know how to make the most of it too!
Perfect shot of espresso in hand, we’re going to turn our attention back on to the main event – the espresso martini! While it’s great to use freshly made espresso, you should let it cool down a bit. While measuring the espresso make sure you get as much of that thick layer of crema as possible as this is what will give you that classic foamy layer on top of the martini. Shake your cocktail shaker until you feel like your arms will fall off (which for me was like one minute!) and you’ll get a good layer of foam! Pour into martini glasses, garnish with three coffee beans and serve immediately. The foam will reduce as it sits but not to worry, the cocktail will still be delicious!
RECIPE CARD
Serves: 2
Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
For the Simple Syrup
- ¼ cup White Sugar
- ¼ cup Water
For the Martini
- 120 ml Vodka
- 60 ml Coffee Liquor
- 60 ml Simple Syrup
- 30 ml Strong Espresso
- Ice
- Coffee beans for garnish
Method:
- Add sugar and water to a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Once all the sugar has dissolved, take the saucepan off the heat and let the syrup cool down.
- Place two martini glasses in the fridge to chill.
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all the ingredients and shake, shake, shake!
- Grab the chilled martini glasses and fill both glasses halfway. The foam will be at the bottom so be sure to distribute it evenly between the two glasses.
- Garnish with coffee beans and serve immediately.
Author: Sneha Sundar is the creator of You Dim Sum, You Lose Some; a philosophy she adopts both in and out of the kitchen.
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