THE ESPRESSO MARTINI HAS A RICH HISTORY AND IS STEEPED IN ANECDOTES AND LEGENDS. ONE POPULAR STORY IS THAT IT WAS CREATED BY LEGENDARY BARTENDER DICK BRADSELL AT LONDON’S FRED’S CLUB IN THE 1980S, WHEN A SUPERMODEL ASKED FOR A DRINK THAT WOULD “WAKE ME UP AND THEN F**K ME UP.” BRADSELL KNEW THAT ESPRESSO AND VODKA WOULD BE THE PERFECT COMBINATION, AND THUS THE ESPRESSO MARTINI WAS BORN.

ANOTHER LEGEND ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF THE ESPRESSO MARTINI IS THAT IT WAS CREATED BY LEGENDARY BARTENDER DICK BRADSELL AT LONDON’S SOHO BRASSERIE IN THE 1980S. THE STORY GOES THAT BRADSELL WAS WORKING BEHIND THE BAR WHEN THE COFFEE MACHINE BROKE, AND HE WAS LEFT WITH A SURPLUS OF ESPRESSO. RATHER THAN WASTE IT, HE DECIDED TO MIX IT WITH VODKA TO CREATE A NEW COCKTAIL. THE ESPRESSO MARTINI WAS A HIT WITH CUSTOMERS AND QUICKLY BECAME A STAPLE ON THE MENU AT SOHO BRASSERIE. THIS STORY HIGHLIGHTS THE CREATIVITY AND RESOURCEFULNESS OF BARTENDERS AND HOW SOMETIMES, ACCIDENTS CAN LEAD TO THE CREATION OF SOMETHING GREAT.

INTERESTING ANECDOTE IS THAT THE ESPRESSO MARTINI HAS BEEN A POPULAR DRINK AMONG CELEBRITIES. IT IS SAID THAT GEORGE CLOONEY WOULD ORDER ESPRESSO MARTINIS WHEN HE WAS SHOOTING THE OCEAN’S ELEVEN MOVIE IN LAS VEGAS. MADONNA AND BRAD PITT WERE ALSO KNOWN TO BE FANS OF THE DRINK.

THE ESPRESSO MARTINI IS A CLASSIC COCKTAIL THAT HAS BEEN GAINING POPULARITY IN RECENT YEARS. THIS DELICIOUS DRINK COMBINES THE BOLD FLAVOR OF ESPRESSO WITH THE SMOOTHNESS OF VODKA, RESULTING IN A BALANCED AND SOPHISTICATED BEVERAGE THAT IS PERFECT FOR ANY OCCASION.

THE KEY TO A GREAT ESPRESSO MARTINI IS, OF COURSE, THE ESPRESSO. IT SHOULD BE FRESHLY BREWED AND WELL BALANCED, NOT TOO BITTER NOR TOO SWEET. A GOOD ESPRESSO WILL PROVIDE A STRONG COFFEE FLAVOR THAT IS NOT OVERPOWERED BY THE VODKA. A GOOD QUALITY VODKA IS ALSO IMPORTANT, AS IT SHOULD BE SMOOTH AND NOT OVERPOWER THE COFFEE FLAVOR. A DASH OF SIMPLE SYRUP CAN ALSO BE ADDED TO BALANCE OUT THE FLAVORS AND GIVE THE DRINK A LITTLE SWEETNESS.

TO MAKE AN ESPRESSO MARTINI, YOU WILL NEED:

1 1/2 OZ VODKA

3/4 OZ FRESHLY BREWED ESPRESSO

3/4 OZ COFFEE LIQUEUR

1/4 OZ SIMPLE SYRUP

COMBINE ALL INGREDIENTS IN A SHAKER WITH ICE, SHAKE VIGOROUSLY FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS. STRAIN INTO A CHILLED MARTINI GLASS.

THERE ARE ALSO A LOT OF FUN VARIATIONS TO THE ESPRESSO MARTINI. ONE OF THEM IS CALLED THE DIRTY ESPRESSO MARTINI, WHERE A SPLASH OF OLIVE BRINE IS ADDED TO GIVE IT A SAVORY NOTE. ANOTHER ONE IS THE CARAMEL ESPRESSO MARTINI, WHERE A CARAMEL SYRUP IS ADDED FOR A SWEETER TWIST.

IN ADDITION, THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO CUSTOMIZE THE ESPRESSO MARTINI TO FIT YOUR TASTE. YOU CAN CHANGE THE VODKA BRAND, OR USE FLAVORED VODKA, OR EVEN ADD A SYRUP OF YOUR PREFERENCE. THIS VERSATILITY MAKES IT A GREAT COCKTAIL FOR EXPERIMENTATION.

OUR TWIST ON THIS CLASSIC COCKTAIL IS TO ADD A RICH, CHOCOLATE AND VANILLA FLAVOR. INSTEAD OF USING SUGAR, WE USE A COMBINATION OF CHOCOLATE AND VANILLA SYRUPS TO SWEETEN THE DRINK. THIS ADDS A DECADENT AND UNIQUE FLAVOR TO THE COCKTAIL THAT IS SURE TO PLEASE THE PALATE. THE CHOCOLATE AND VANILLA SYRUPS PERFECTLY COMPLEMENT THE BOLD TASTE OF THE ESPRESSO AND GIVE THE DRINK A SMOOTH AND CREAMY FINISH. OUR TWIST ON THE ESPRESSO MARTINI IS PERFECT FOR THOSE WHO LOVE THE CLASSIC COCKTAIL BUT WANT TO ADD A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA TO IT.

THE ESPRESSO MARTINI CAN BE GARNISHED WITH THREE COFFEE BEANS, OR EVEN WITH A TWIST OF ORANGE, DEPENDING ON PREFERENCE.

ANOTHER LEGEND ABOUT THE ESPRESSO MARTINI IS THAT IT IS TRADITIONALLY GARNISHED WITH THREE COFFEE BEANS. THE THREE COFFEE BEANS ARE SAID TO REPRESENT THE THREE ELEMENTS OF THE COCKTAIL: THE COFFEE, THE VODKA AND THE SUGAR. THE COFFEE BEANS ARE SAID TO REPRESENT THE COFFEE ELEMENT, THE VODKA REPRESENTS THE SPIRIT OF THE DRINK AND THE SUGAR REPRESENTS THE SWEETNESS. IT IS ALSO SAID THAT THE THREE COFFEE BEANS REPRESENT HEALTH, HAPPINESS AND PROSPERITY. SOME PEOPLE EVEN GO AS FAR AS TO SAY THAT IF YOU BLOW OUT THE COFFEE BEANS BEFORE DRINKING THE COCKTAIL, YOU’LL BE GRANTED YOUR WISH. THE THREE COFFEE BEANS GARNISH IS ALSO A VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF THE DRINK, AND IT MAKES THE DRINK LOOK MORE APPEALING AND SOPHISTICATED.

THE ESPRESSO MARTINI IS ALSO KNOWN BY OTHER NAMES SUCH AS VODKA ESPRESSO, ESPRESSO VODKA, AND EVEN VODKATINI. THE NAME “PHARMACEUTICAL STIMULANT” IS ALSO SOMETIMES USED TO REFER TO THE ESPRESSO MARTINI, LIKELY DUE TO THE INCLUSION OF ESPRESSO, WHICH IS A NATURAL STIMULANT. THE NAME IS THOUGHT TO BE A NOD TO THE CAFFEINE IN THE ESPRESSO, WHICH IS KNOWN TO GIVE A BOOST OF ENERGY AND ALERTNESS. THIS NAME HIGHLIGHTS THE PICK-ME-UP PROPERTIES OF THE DRINK AND ITS ABILITY TO HELP KICK-START A NIGHT OUT. IT MAY ALSO BE A REFERENCE TO THE FACT THAT THE COCKTAIL WAS OFTEN SERVED IN THE LATE NIGHT AND EARLY MORNING HOURS, AS A PICK-ME-UP FOR PATRONS WHO HAD BEEN OUT DRINKING AND PARTYING ALL NIGHT. WHATEVER THE NAME, THE ESPRESSO MARTINI IS A DELICIOUS, INVIGORATING COCKTAIL THAT IS SURE TO WAKE UP YOUR SENSES AND GET YOU IN THE MOOD TO PARTY.

THE ESPRESSO MARTINI IS A VERSATILE DRINK THAT CAN BE ENJOYED AT ANY TIME OF DAY OR NIGHT. ITS UNIQUE COMBINATION OF FLAVORS MAKES IT A GREAT CHOICE FOR COFFEE LOVERS AND COCKTAIL ENTHUSIASTS ALIKE. WHETHER YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A PICK-ME-UP AFTER A LONG DAY OR A SOPHISTICATED DRINK TO IMPRESS YOUR GUESTS.

AT BAR LAB PLUS, WE PRIDE OURSELVES IN OUR UNIQUE TWIST ON THE CLASSIC ESPRESSO MARTINI. OUR SIGNATURE VERSION OF THIS POPULAR COCKTAIL INCLUDES THE USE OF CHOCOLATE AND VANILLA SYRUPS INSTEAD OF SUGAR, GIVING IT A RICHER, MORE INDULGENT FLAVOR. OUR MIXOLOGISTS ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT CREATING NEW AND EXCITING VARIATIONS OF CLASSIC COCKTAILS, AND WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT OUR VERSION OF THE ESPRESSO MARTINI WILL NOT DISAPPOINT. WHETHER YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A PICK-ME-UP AFTER A LONG DAY, OR A TASTY WAY TO START YOUR NIGHT OUT, OUR ESPRESSO MARTINI IS THE PERFECT CHOICE. 

IF YOU’RE PLANNING A PARTY, CONSIDER USING BAR LAB PLUS AS YOUR GO-TO BAR SERVICE. WE SPECIALIZE IN CRAFT COCKTAILS, AND OUR EXPERIENCED MIXOLOGISTS WILL BE SURE TO IMPRESS YOUR GUESTS WITH OUR DELICIOUS AND UNIQUE TWISTS ON CLASSIC FAVORITES LIKE THE ESPRESSO MARTINI. OUR TEAM WILL WORK WITH YOU TO CREATE A CUSTOMIZED MENU THAT FITS YOUR EVENT AND YOUR GUESTS’ PREFERENCES, SO YOU CAN SIT BACK, RELAX AND ENJOY YOUR PARTY, WHILE WE TAKE CARE OF THE DRINKS. CONTACT US TODAY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW WE CAN HELP MAKE YOUR NEXT EVENT A TRULY UNFORGETTABLE ONE!