Even though it has been around since the late 1980s, it has become a real hype in the last two or three years: the Espresso Martini. According to stories, the cocktail made of vodka, espresso and coffee liqueur originated in London and was invented by the bartender Dick Bradsell. The trigger was probably a now very famous American model who came into the bar and asked for a drink that would wake her up and then knock her out.
Espresso Martini - the original
"Wake me up, and then fuck me up" is how the model asked Dick Bradsell for the first Espresso Martini in history. Today, according to the International Bartenders Association, the drink is one of the New Era drinks. The recommendation for the basic recipe is as follows:
- 5 cl vodka
- 3 cl coffee liqueur (e.g. Kahlúa)
- An espresso
- (optional: sugar syrup)
The whole thing is put into a shaker with ice, shaken and then served in a cocktail glass. You can decorate the resulting foam with three coffee beans.
Espresso Martini – After Dinner
The drink is one of the after-dinner drinks. The taste of the cocktail has nothing in common with a classic martini, but like the latter it is often served in a martini glass. Initially it was also called Vodka Espresso. The name Espresso Martini comes from the fact that the 1990s were the years when vodka was the undisputed number one and cocktails, if they were drunk at all, were mostly served in martini glasses, such as the big smash hit of the time, the Cosmopolitan.
Espresso Martini – Modern Classic
Even during Dick Bradsell's lifetime - he unfortunately died far too young in 2016 - the Espresso Martini had developed a dynamic of its own. This was particularly noticeable because the inventor later renamed the drink "Pharmaceutical Stimulant" - but nobody cared, and to this day the stimulant is still called the Espresso Martini. Today, almost every bar makes it at the customer's request, even if it is not explicitly on the menu. In the meantime, a number of variations of the classic have been developed, which we would like to introduce here.
Espresso Martini – Coretto Martini
This version was invented in the Bar Palletti in Regensburg. It is the logical combination of the coffee specialty Caffè Coretto and the classic Espresso Martini.
Ingredients:
- 4 cl Humbel XT eXtra Grape
- 2 cl Espresso Liqueur Brazil Late Harvest
- 1 espresso
- 1 BL Dark caramel syrup with olive oil
- 2 Dashes Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters
The result is a cocktail in which caramel and bitters create the right mouthfeel, body and length. It's always a good choice, whether early or late in the evening.
Espresso Martini – a touch of Asia
Yvonne Rahm invented the “Herbs & Beans”. This variation of the Espresso Martini does not contain the coffee liqueur, but instead contains Vietnamese coffee and Italian Amaro.
Ingredients:
- 5 cl Grey Goose Vodka
- 3 cl Vietnamese drip coffee
- 1.5 cl Amaro Freimeisterkollektiv
- 1.5 cl vanilla syrup
What sounds simple is a sweet, complex and surprisingly smooth espresso martini.
Espresso Martini – Stay wild
We as a roastery also have our own recipe. We stick to the classic Espresso Martini. We use our delicious espresso for this - the Wildsau is best, as the espresso adds a fruity note to the drink. We are happy to do without the sugar syrup, as sugar - in our opinion - does not belong in coffee.
Ingredients:
- 5cl vodka (good quality)
- A freshly brewed Wild Boar Espresso (approx. 3 cl)
- 2 cl coffee liqueur (Kahlúa or Tia Maria)
- Ice cubes
Like the classic, our drink is shaken and then served garnished with coffee beans.
Now you can decide which espresso martini you like best: a "Wake me up" is guaranteed, the "Fuck me up" is up to you. In any case, an espresso martini always goes well with a glamorous evening of dancing and partying.
