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The Ultimate Espresso Martini Recipe

This espresso martini recipe is strong, smooth, creamy, richly bitter and slightly sweet.  It’s made with espresso vodka, baileys and a shot of strong espresso.

It will be the best pick-me-up cocktail you have ever had!  The perfect after dinner drink!

Debbie and I have tried many versions of this cocktail at restaurants, but this recipe is still the best.  Don’t believe us?  Give it a try.  I’m willing to bet you agree unless you like your cocktails super sweet. 

two Espresso Martinis poured into martini glasses and ready to drink

Every now and then, we all need a pick-me-up.  Whenever that lift you need comes in drink form, it should be in the form of this espresso martini recipe!

What are the Ingredients?

I have seen a number of different espresso martini recipes.  All are similar with minor variations.   Our version has:

  • strong espresso
  • Espresso Vodka
  • Irish Cream Liqueur (Baileys or Carolyn’s)
  • ice to shake the mixture with and get it nice and chilled
  • (optional) if you like things sweeter, you could also add a little Kahlua to the mix

If that doesn’t get you going, I’m not sure what will!

Best Espresso Vodka

The best espresso vodka is made by Van Gogh vodka.  This is not a sponsored post, we just LOVE this vodka.  They make two kinds:  espresso vodka and double espresso vodka.  Either works, but the double is our favourite!

Best Coffee for Martini’s

Ideally you want strong espresso for this martini. However, if you don’t have an espresso machine, here’s a couple ideas to get the coffee you need:

  • make some extra strong coffee in a drip machine. That’s what I did before I got an espresso machine.
  • make some extra strong coffee in a french press. This is probably better than a drip machine.
pouring the mixed espresso, vodka and baileys into a martini glass

I just love how making these smells….!

Debbie and I make this espresso martini quite often.  Its our go to cocktail any time we are feeling a little tired at the beginning of a night, or we need a cocktail that’s got a little punch built into it.  Its an all time favorite of ours and we never have only one!

I can’t think of a time when we have made these that someone doesn’t say, “Oooooo what’s that?”  and then we give them a sip and they look longingly at us until we give in and make them one too.  Its usually one of the boys.

If we make one for ourselves, they inevitably want one too.  And we make them one too, cuz we love them.  And we are nice like that 🙂

I am willing to bet this espresso martini will become a favorite of yours too.

finished Espresso Martini in a glass and ready to drink

How to Make an Espresso Martini

  1. first make the strong espresso and let it cool. 
  2. fill a martini shaker half full of ice. ““
  3. add all the ingredients to the shaker and shake it really hard.
  4. pour into a glass (a chilled glass is even better) and serve with a couple espresso beans on top

Pretty easy right?  Easy and delicious!

This espresso martini recipe makes the best aperitif cocktails for a dinner party and an equally good after dinner drink.  Especially in the summer when its still hot at night and no one wants a hot coffee after dinner.

These espresso martinis are guaranteed to get the party started!  So delicious, and the espresso vodka has quite the kick without tasting like it so be careful or you will be dancing on tables 😉  Or not and just go for it…

Variations to Try

Make it sweeter – Just replace 1 oz of vodka with 1 oz of kahlua. That will make it slightly sweeter.

Make it dairy free – replace the 1 oz of baileys with 1oz of kahlua.

Pro Tips for Making this Recipe

  • make sure the coffee is cooled before you make the cocktail. Otherwise it will melt the ice and get too watered down.
  • if you have the time, make the coffee ahead of time and keep it in the fridge till you are ready to make your cocktail. Throw it in the freezer for a min to cool it quickly if need be.
  • shake the cocktail nice and hard in order to get that nice foam on top. The ice also helps with this so don’t skimp on the ice.

How do you make an espresso martini frothy?

When you use a proper espresso maker, your espresso will have a layer of foam or crema on top. You can’t get this any other way. Not even with a French press.

You can still get foam on your martini though. There are a couple of ways:

  1. make sure to add lots of ice when you shake it
  2. add a wire ball whisk to your shaker
  3. add a touch of egg white to the shaker. Just about 1 tsp is plenty

coffee beans floating on top of an Espresso Martini

How Much Alcohol is in an Espresso Martini?

This martini is fairly strong!  There are 3 oz of alcohol in this martini, however the Irish cream liqueur is not as high alcohol percentage as the vodka.

This is how we like to drink this martini, however, if you don’t like your drinks to be this strong then simply cut the vodka to 1 oz.

Do Coffee Martini’s have caffeine?

Oh ya they will so be careful how many you have!  Its tempting to just keep drinking these because they are so good, but you will be sorry when you try to sleep!

Recommended Tools

  • espresso machine – I have my eye on this one.  I will have it one day soonish…  It will make my morning coffee and making these espresso martinis even better!
  • martini shaker – we love this one because its clear glass so you can see inside and it has a silicone ring around the lid so NO SPILLS.  I want my martini in my glass…
  • martini glasses – classic and beautiful
  • coupe glasses – you could also serve them in these.  We love how classy these look!

 Other Cocktail Recipes You Might Like

If you’ve tried this espresso martini recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let us know how it turned out in the comments below.  We love hearing from you!

We love to see your creations!  Tag @Cookswithcocktails if you post a picture of this recipe on INSTAGRAM

Espresso Martini Recipe with Baileys

Espresso Martini Recipe with Vodka and Baileys

This smooth, richly bitter and slightly sweet espresso martini is made with strong espresso vodka, baileys and a shot of strong espresso. The best pick-me-up cocktail you have ever had! 
4.14 from 29 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: Canadian
Keyword: coffee cocktail, espresso martini
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1
Calories: 235kcal
Author: Julie & Debbie

Ingredients

  • 2 – 3 oz shot of Espresso
  • 2 oz shot of VanGoughs Espresso Vodka or Double Espresso Vodka
  • 1 oz (or a splash) of Balieys or Carolans Irish Cream Liqueur

Instructions

  • First fill a martini shaker full of ice. Then pour in the Espresso, Vodka and Baileys.
  • Shake the martini shaker well and pour into a martini glass along with some of the ice.

Notes

Hint: Whenever we know we’re going to be making a few of these, we often make a bunch of espresso at once and put it in the fridge.  That way, when the craving hits, the coffee is ready to go!
Sip and Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cocktail | Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Sodium: 14mg | Potassium: 97mg | Sugar: 13g

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5 Comments

    1. Haha! Thanks Melinda, and no, not wrong at all. I could go for one of these for breakfast myself!

  1. Great looking drink! I usually make mine with equal parts espresso, vodka and Kahlua, but I’ll be sure to give this version a try. Nice pics too!

    1. Thanks Marco! Great idea to add Kahlua, although that might be just a little too sweet for me. Debbie loves Kahlua so we will have to give it a shot anyways 🙂

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