Recipes & Cooking Drinks Cocktails Espresso Martini Be the first to rate & review! Learn how to make the classic cocktail at home. Our espresso martini recipe calls for just a few simple ingredients. By Sarah Martens Sarah Martens Sarah Martens is the Senior Editor overseeing food at Better Homes & Gardens digital. She has been with the BHG brand for more than 10 years. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process and BHG Test Kitchen BHG Test Kitchen The Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen has been in continuous operation for nearly 100 years, developing and testing practical, reliable recipes that readers can enjoy at home. The Test Kitchen team includes culinary specialists, food stylists, registered and licensed nutritionists, and other experts with Bachelor of Science degrees in food science, food and nutrition, or culinary arts. Together, the team tests more than 2,500 recipes, produces more than 2,500 food images, and creates more than 1,000 food videos each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on May 23, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Rachel Marek Total Time: 5 mins Servings: 1 drink Yield: 2 1/2 ounces Jump to Nutrition Facts Invented by British bartender Dick Bradsell in the 1980's, a classic espresso martini recipe made with coffee liqueur and vodka. Traditionally, an espresso martini is served chilled without ice in a martini glass. The result is the perfect blend of subtle sweetness, coffee flavor, and caffeine. Our Test Kitchen recommends using chilled espresso or cold brew coffee concentrate. Using cold coffee or cold brew to start will help prevent too much ice from melting and diluting the drink during shaking. Look for coffee liqueur, like Kahlua, in the spirit aisle of your local grocery store. In a pinch, you can leave this out but your espresso martini won't have the same depth of flavor. Rather than adding granulated or brown sugar to the shaker, you'll want to use a simple syrup. This ensures the sugar is evenly distributed throughout the cocktail and you're not left with sugar granules in the bottom of your glass. You can buy premade simple syrup or make your own using our recipe below. Garnish the finished espresso martini with whole coffee beans or for a little richness, try using chocolate-covered coffee beans. You can also add a drizzle of chocolate sauce, caramel, or cream. Try adding a fun garnish like whipped cream, chocolate shavings, cinnamon, or a sugared rim. Once you've mastered the espresso martini recipe, try making another classic cocktail. If you like coffee flavor, try this Mexican coffee cocktail. If you like martinis, try making a batch of Gibsons, made with vermouth and gin. Or opt for a smooth vodka martini. Ingredients 1 oz ice 1 1/2 fluid ounces vodka 1 fluid ounce espresso or cold brew concentrate 1/2 fluid ounce coffee liqueur 1/2 fluid ounce simple syrup 3 coffee beans, optional for garnish Directions In a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice, combine the vodka, espresso or cold brew coffee, coffee liqueur, and simple syrup; cover and shake until very cold. Test Kitchen Tip: Here's how you know if you've shaken your espresso martini long enough. Generally, the rule of thumb is to shake the cocktail for at least 10 seconds. The outside of the shaker should be frosty and cold. Strain the espresso martini mixture into a martini glass. Garnish the drink with coffee beans, if desired. Test Kitchen Tip: You can make homemade simple syrup for this espresso martini recipe. In a screw-top jar, combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water. Screw on lid and shake until the sugar dissolves. Store the finished simple syrup for up to one month in the fridge. Rate It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 189 Calories 0g Fat 15g Carbs 0g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 1 Calories 189.1 % Daily Value * Total Fat 0.1g 0% Saturated Fat 0g 0% Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 7.3mg 0% Total Carbohydrate 15.5g 6% Dietary Fiber 0g 0% Total Sugars 14.9g Protein 0.1g 0% Vitamin D 0mcg 0% Vitamin C 0.1mg 0% Calcium 1.8mg 0% Iron 0.1mg 0% Potassium 39.9mg 1% Fatty acids, total trans 0g Vitamin D 0IU Alanine 0g Arginine 0g Ash 0.1g Aspartic acid 0g Caffeine 67.3mg Carotene, alpha 0mcg Choline, total 0.8mg Copper, Cu 0mg Cystine 0g Energy 790.9kJ Fluoride, F 21.3mcg Folate, total 0.3mcg Glutamic acid 0g Glycine 0g Histidine 0g Isoleucine 0g Leucine 0g Lysine 0g Methionine 0g Magnesium, Mg 24.6mg Manganese, Mn 0mg Niacin 1.6mg Phosphorus, P 5.2mg Pantothenic acid 0mg Phenylalanine 0g Proline 0g Retinol 0mcg Selenium, Se 0.1mcg Serine 0g Theobromine 0mg Threonine 0g Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 0mg Tryptophan 0g Tyrosine 0g Valine 0g Vitamin A, IU 0IU Vitamin A, RAE 0mcg Vitamin B-12 0mcg Vitamin B-6 0mg Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 0mcg Water 103.4g Zinc, Zn 0mg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.