Espresso Martini Recipe (Simple + Easy!)

Let’s talk about how to make an espresso martini with both kahlua and vodka at home. This easy 5-minute espresso martini recipe is a bold and sweet cocktail with a foamy top that is a total crowd pleaser! It’s the perfect after dinner drink made with a few simple ingredients (can be made with instant coffee or espresso!) and garnished with coffee beans. Creamy, extra easy, and totally dairy free!

The best espresso martini recipe

If you’re a coffee lover like us and you’ve never tried an espresso martini you absolutely MUST! It is rich, bold, slightly bitter and sweet, but perfectly balanced in flavor.

Created in the 1980’s in London, it quickly gained popularity and is now considered a classic cocktail that you’ll find in cocktail bars everywhere.

We love whipping them up before a night out on the town or after dinner when we have friends over.

They’re super impressive looking with the dense and creamy foam on top but literally SO easy to make.

I’m talking three ingredients all in equal parts easy.

YUP. That simple.

There are many variations on the espresso martini but we love the simplicity and balance of flavors in this 1:1:1 ratio.

If it’s around the holidays one of our favorite variations is this Eggnog Espresso Martini. Made with the same ratio but with eggnog, spices, and rum instead of vodka. SO GOOD. We also adore these recipes for a Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini and Peppermint Mocha Espresso Martini (both of which are dairy free)!

Fun fact: A classic espresso martini was the first proper cocktail I learned how to make at home and what I’d consider the introduction to my love of home bartending!

Why you’ll love this cocktail

It is:

• Bold & sweet
• Well balanced
• Impressive
• Easy to make
• A coffee lovers dream
• Perfect for the holidays or happy hour at home
• A delicious after dinner drink
• Absolutely delightful!

Ingredients and substitutions

Ever wondered what alcohol is in an espresso martini?

Well the ingredients are actually pretty straightforward, but there are a few substitutions that can be made that I’ll share below!

What is an espresso martini made of?

• Vodka – Vodka is the traditional spirit used in espresso martinis. There are however variations that use rum, mezcal, tequila, or gin.
• Espresso – Real, hot espresso is the best coffee to use in espresso martinis. But if you don’t have access to an espresso machine there are other options! You can use extra strong hot coffee, cold brew concentrate, or even a high quality instant coffee. Some people might give me a hard time for giving you the green light to use instant coffee but we’ve done it many times and the result is still delicious! (& I doubt anyone would notice if you don’t tell them!)
• Kahlua – Kahlua is our favorite coffee liqueur for making espresso martinis because of the density of the coffee flavor, and the sweetness. Other recipes for espresso martinis might call for less coffee liqueur and added simple syrup, but I like the simplicity and flavor of all the sweetness coming from the liqueur itself. Tia Maria is a slightly less sweet coffee liqueur alternative to kahlua.

Can you make an espresso martini without espresso?

I say yes!

A lot of people have different opinions about this.

But based on my experience you can totally make an espresso martini without espresso. Extra strong coffee, cold brew concentrate, instant coffee, or instant espresso all work.

Some people probably think using instant coffee is not okay, but I believe that when it comes to home cooking and home bartending, sometimes you just have to work with what you’ve got.

Now if you were ordering an espresso martini at a bar I wouldn’t expect them to make it with anything except for espresso, but when you’re making one at home it’s a whole different story.

And honestly when given the choice I prefer instant coffee over coffee because you can make it stronger, which will more closely mimic the bold & bitter flavor of espresso.

We love this high quality organic brand of instant coffee if you’re curious about what we use.

Should you use hot or cold espresso?

Again, this is a topic with varied opinions, but based on my experience hot espresso or hot coffee produces the best espresso martini.

I think it has something to do with the oils that are in the coffee beans and the crema that you see in fresh espresso that helps create the creamy foam on top of the martini.

But if all you have is cold brew or room temperature coffee it will also work, you may just end up with less foam than if you were using hot espresso.

It is however important to add the hot espresso last if using it, so that it doesn’t melt all the ice while you measure and pour the other ingredients.

How to make a perfect espresso martini at home

Making a good espresso martini at home is really so easy!

Here’s the step-by-step:

• Gather your ingredients. Prepare your espresso or coffee, measure out the vodka and kahlua, and add plenty of ice to a cocktail shaker.
• Add ingredients to cocktail shaker. Pour vodka, kahlua, and hot espresso or coffee over the ice in your cocktail shaker, making sure to add the hot espresso last so the ice doesn’t immediately melt.
• Shake it up! Seal the cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 15-30 seconds. Properly aerating the cocktail is what helps build the foam on your finished drink so use some muscle power!
• Strain into a glass. Strain into a glass (chilled if you’d like) and enjoy!

What bar tools do you need?

These are the tools you’ll need to make this cocktail:

• A cocktail shaker
• A strainer – if your shaker doesn’t have one built in
• Something to measure the spirits and other ingredients with – This could either be a jigger or simply some measuring spoons.

If you don’t have a cocktail shaker or a strainer, this article has some awesome solutions for missing pieces for the home mixologist.

Espresso martini garnish

The classic garnish on an espresso martini is three coffee beans. It is said that they represent health, wealth, and happiness.

How to make a frothy espresso martini

Here’s a few key tips for getting that lovely layer of foam on top of your martini:

• Start with hot espresso or hot coffee.
• Use the right ratio of ingredients. The sugar in the kahlua combined with the crema from the coffee help build the foam on top. If your ingredients are too diluted the martini won’t have as lovely of a foam.
• Shake, shake, shake! Properly shaking & aerating the martini is a key step in building the foam for this drink – 30 seconds of vigorous shaking should do the trick.
• Make sure to pour right after shaking. As soon as you’re done shaking strain the cocktail into glasses so the foam doesn’t have time to break down. If making 2 cocktails at a time divide about half of the cocktail into each glass and then finish them both with what remains, as most of the foam will pour out last.

Love this espresso martini? Try these other NK cocktail recipes!

• Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini
• Eggnog Espresso Martini
• Spiced Hibiscus Vodka Sour
• Spiced Apple and Tangerine Spritz
• Jungle Bird Cocktail
• Red Wine Tangerine Spritz

If you enjoyed this recipe we’d love it if you would take 5 seconds to rate and review it below! It’s also super helpful for other readers if you share any modifications you made to the recipe. 

Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK. We’re so grateful you’re here!

Print