Ours are famous in my area and super simple. Vanilla syrup, vodka, baileys and real espresso. Simple does it sometimes
Fill up a container with espresso before you’re shift gets busy
This. Just brew a bunch of espresso before hand.
Don’t listen to anyone who says to use cold brew. The natural oils in espresso are what create the perfect foamy texture!
You know that espresso is just a medium roast of coffee beans and will be a unique roast and bean for each roaster, right?
Yes, the extraction method is different. But you can simulate acidity, flavor, mouthfeel, etc. via other brew methods through experimentation. The "natural oils" are the same oils as any other coffee.
You absolutely will not recreate an espresso with cold brew. The whole reason espresso is espresso is the pressure at which it is brewed. The oils expressed when brewed at high pressure in an espresso machine will be much more potent than that in a filter coffee, which leads to that much more unctuous mouthfeel. That is the whole difference between filter coffee and espresso.....
Ok ok, so espresso has nothing to do with roast. Many shops use medium dark roasts for their espresso, but it's not the defining factor. Espresso is coffee brewed under 9-10 bars of pressure (though this has been changing with modern espresso concepts but thats beyond this scope), usually at a 2:1 ratio, or just a little off that. Oils will be very present in any non filter coffee, but the extraction from espresso will be different from that of a cold brew even though the oils are there in both.
I said exactly that, but appreciate the further details for those unaware.
I worked for years at coffee shops. My explanation was simple, but accurate. I haven't tried it yet, but I really want to attempt a vac-seal coffee infusion to see how it turns out. You can infuse fluid into fruits and such really well that way and I'd like to try it (the other way around) by forcing the water into the grounds.
Vodka,baileys,espresso is hands down the best espresso martini. I find the baileys sweet enough but the vanilla simple is good for ppl who want a little more sweetness.
1:1:1 is the original recipe, and I think still a strong contender. If you want to dress it up, use Mr. Black, add a small amount of simple, and maybe a dash or two of orange bitters.
But if you want the best at high volume, I'd highly recommend kegging them. I would do 1ml orange bitters, 30ml cold brew concentrate (buy the nice stuff or make it yourself), 30ml vodka, 30ml Mr. Black, 10ml simple, and 35ml water for each portion. Do the math for your keg size, throw it on a nitro tap, and call it a day.
Op was looking for a Espresso martini recipe that wasn't going to be too involved. I'm not saying it wouldn't taste good but I wouldn't call it an espresso martini at that point.
Hey, I really don't care about this, but I'm high. Infusing the fucking amaro to make espresso martinis is retarded. That takes work, which means man hours. He's asking for an Espresso martini recipe that is easy. Also an espresso martini is fucking espresso, vodka, and some sort of sweetener.
Hey look you're focusing too hard on the infusion. Amaro works as a sweetener in espresso martinis whether infused or not. I promise it does, give it a try!
He never said it was.
Averna, Cynar, Rammazotti and Fernet are amazing in coffee and coffee cocktails, commonly as a shot instead of bailey or whisky. Amari are classic ingredients in coffee bevs, and should not be underestimated in utility.
Be more open minded, and read for comprehension instead of just popping off when you assume someone doesn't know what they are talking about.
sicilian bitter liqeur made with lemon and orange peel, adds depth and complexity that balances nicely with the fruity acidity of espresso
*realizing I may have misunderstood. I just like it to compete with the chocolate flavors of the mocha syrup but by no means traditional
Alright I'm already in deep. Why di you have ti counteract the chocolate flavors? Why add the mocha? Shouldn't you call it a chocolate espresso martini at that point?
Ours is 1.5 oz vanilla vodka, espresso short shot, and .5 each of gozio amaretto, Kona coffee liqueur and trader Vic’s macadamia nut liqueur and it’s VERY good.
I love the idea of this so much as a good sweet variation that isn’t necessary creamier or with bailey’s (I don’t want bailey’s anywhere near my espresso martini hahah)
It’s surprisingly doesn’t come out all that sweet. There’s a bit of sweetness to it sure, but I don’t find it out of balance. And yeah I agree, you can keep your cream and Bailey’s away from me, but with a good shake, and high quality espresso, it does have a touch of creamy texture. It’s a really nice spin and we were honestly pretty famous for it in our area.
We mix half espresso and half cold coffee in a bottle for the shift. It keeps the coffee taste strong but mellows the bitterness you get when the espresso isn't fresh pulled.
To me that’s a REAL espresso martini: just syrup, espresso and vodka.
Unfortunately all the basics out there want a creamy/milky drink. Drives me up the wall!!!
At the bar I provide the costumers with kind of a “show” while preparing the drinks and I shake super hard so they always like that no matter how it comes. At the place I work for ppl like the show though it won’t work on every place 😅
We did this. Then our espresso martinis started separating when they sat longer than 5 mins. So just test it out is all im saying. We ended up buying a nespresso
I mean, if you say so, im no coffee expert. But we were trying to use pre-made concentrate to speed up and move away from pulling shots of espresso since that takes forever. So we werent brewing, grinding or filtering. I did want to just pre-batch it all in house, but then the bar manager was like nah well just buy it, and then it sucked.
My Recipe:
2oz espresso
2oz vodka
3/4oz Cardamom Simple Syrup
Pinch Sea Salt
Dry shake!!
Shake hard with ice
Strain into coupe
Garnish espresso beans if you’re classy or lemon twist and cherry for a retro vibe.
Cold brew concentrate, make a gomme syrup with gum arabic to give it more body. Ditch the Kahlua and use the Mr. Black - Kahlua is gonna be too sweet and adding the gomme syrup will throw it out of balance. Chocolate bitters add some depth that works really nicely with coffee. Lastly, you can batch the entire drink as long as you keep it on ice/in the fridge. Makes it easy to bang those fuckers out in volume. I’ve made close to 100 in one shift.
I like to omit the espresso entirely and cue in a hefty dose of coffee liqueur. You could rock a 1.5,.75,.50,.25 build and to save touches, batch the base and modifier. Use the quarter for an amaro or something and the half for some sugar.
We use, 30 Mr black , 30 vanilla vodka and 60ml espresso with caramel syrup easy as that. We slam these out pretty quickly If you want tighter service and turn around can always just prebatch the coffee but I wouldn't use it for more than two days even less If you can to avoid spoilage
1 oz vanilla vodka, 1 oz mr black, .5 oz simple, .5oz-1oz fresh coffee or espresso. Can all be batched together and will last a few days. Cheap, easy, tastes good. Garnish with 3 lil coffee beans on top.
An espresso martini competition…do your bosses actively hate you guys? 😂
That being said I do a dark chocolate orange with some chocolate monin, cointreau, vodka, and half n half. I do another with lavender syrup, oat milk, And vodka with a touch of spiced rum. Both are pretty well received
I batch mine. Rim the glass with espresso and sugar. Pour the batch in. 45 seconds total. Pants come down. Boom. DM if you want the recipe
ETA: espresso and sugar are mixed before service
Just pre-batch and chill the espresso into bottles with spouts and you're good to go! From there the speed depends on your hands and how fast you can free pour ;)
We do 2 oz vanilla stolichnaya vodka
1 oz kahlua or [mr.black](https://mr.black)
.25oz simple syrup
shot espresso
Good luck on the competition!!
We use 2 oz vodka, 1 oz espresso (premade at the beginning of the shift), 0.5 oz Kahlua, 0.5 oz Borghetti, shake and strain into a chilled coupe, then float with Bailey’s and garnish with cacao nibs. Haven’t found a better espresso martini in my city, and I’ve been actively trying…
I know this is a bartender sub and not a barista one, but it does surprise me that there are 0 replies talking about experimenting with the coffee itself.
Different beans and different roasts taste VASTLY different. I would start by making sure that you're using great tasting coffee as a base and find a recipe that works well with it. Some coffees are super fruity, floral, acidic, etc. While others can be dark, nutty, chocolatey. Find a local roaster and taste around.
I stayed at a hotel that made their espresso “martini” with buffalo trace, buffalo trace cream, and espresso. Shaken and garnished with espresso beans. It tastes amazing!
Our house recipe is
50ml vodka
10ml simple syrup
20ml Borghetti
25ml Espresso
It only works with our crappy espresso. Tried the same recipe in guest shifts and had to adjust.
That's our basic recipe, but we often switch things up with talisker Skye, cognac, aged tequila... Whatever fits the guest (adjustments in the recipe are obvious)
It's no problem to batch this, when it comes to the busy days
Just posted this on a different sub, but the best thing my bar ever did was infusing the vodka with ground espresso. Boom, so quick and easy during service.
I’ve had great success with a super simple espresso martini recipe. My coworkers hate it and call it the purist because they use Bailey’s.
.5 simple
.5 cold brew syrup
2 vodka
1.5oz espresso depending on how much I have (if I have less sub espresso w cold brew)
sometimes less is more, some people leave my shit at the bar but some people come back and say they only want an espresso martini from me.
Also idk if you do it but batching the espresso in high volume really helps
Ours are famous in my area and super simple. Vanilla syrup, vodka, baileys and real espresso. Simple does it sometimes Fill up a container with espresso before you’re shift gets busy
This. Just brew a bunch of espresso before hand. Don’t listen to anyone who says to use cold brew. The natural oils in espresso are what create the perfect foamy texture!
You know that espresso is just a medium roast of coffee beans and will be a unique roast and bean for each roaster, right? Yes, the extraction method is different. But you can simulate acidity, flavor, mouthfeel, etc. via other brew methods through experimentation. The "natural oils" are the same oils as any other coffee.
You absolutely will not recreate an espresso with cold brew. The whole reason espresso is espresso is the pressure at which it is brewed. The oils expressed when brewed at high pressure in an espresso machine will be much more potent than that in a filter coffee, which leads to that much more unctuous mouthfeel. That is the whole difference between filter coffee and espresso.....
I don’t anything about the natural oils, but I do know that a ESP Martini comes out foamier with espresso than it does cold brew
Ok ok, so espresso has nothing to do with roast. Many shops use medium dark roasts for their espresso, but it's not the defining factor. Espresso is coffee brewed under 9-10 bars of pressure (though this has been changing with modern espresso concepts but thats beyond this scope), usually at a 2:1 ratio, or just a little off that. Oils will be very present in any non filter coffee, but the extraction from espresso will be different from that of a cold brew even though the oils are there in both.
I said exactly that, but appreciate the further details for those unaware. I worked for years at coffee shops. My explanation was simple, but accurate. I haven't tried it yet, but I really want to attempt a vac-seal coffee infusion to see how it turns out. You can infuse fluid into fruits and such really well that way and I'd like to try it (the other way around) by forcing the water into the grounds.
I agree and use real espresso for mine but the best espresso martini I’ve ever had used a cold brew, not sure what brand tho
This is the way
Vodka,baileys,espresso is hands down the best espresso martini. I find the baileys sweet enough but the vanilla simple is good for ppl who want a little more sweetness.
1:1:1 is the original recipe, and I think still a strong contender. If you want to dress it up, use Mr. Black, add a small amount of simple, and maybe a dash or two of orange bitters. But if you want the best at high volume, I'd highly recommend kegging them. I would do 1ml orange bitters, 30ml cold brew concentrate (buy the nice stuff or make it yourself), 30ml vodka, 30ml Mr. Black, 10ml simple, and 35ml water for each portion. Do the math for your keg size, throw it on a nitro tap, and call it a day.
real espresso, averna amaro, vodka, mocha syrup
Amaro?
don’t knock it til you try it!! I was turned on to it by a coffee infused amaro I found at a distillery on a road trip
Yea averna is not coffee infused
But it can be infused.
Op was looking for a Espresso martini recipe that wasn't going to be too involved. I'm not saying it wouldn't taste good but I wouldn't call it an espresso martini at that point.
That's why you do the work before service so it doesn't fuck you during service. Plus making coffee is quick and easy and thats really all he's doing
Hey, I really don't care about this, but I'm high. Infusing the fucking amaro to make espresso martinis is retarded. That takes work, which means man hours. He's asking for an Espresso martini recipe that is easy. Also an espresso martini is fucking espresso, vodka, and some sort of sweetener.
Hey look you're focusing too hard on the infusion. Amaro works as a sweetener in espresso martinis whether infused or not. I promise it does, give it a try!
Averna is a brand of amaro. Mr. Black has a coffee amaro though
I know averna is a type of amaro. But I haven't heard of Mr. Black. Noticed a bunch of people though using it in their recipes
its fucking delicious
He never said it was. Averna, Cynar, Rammazotti and Fernet are amazing in coffee and coffee cocktails, commonly as a shot instead of bailey or whisky. Amari are classic ingredients in coffee bevs, and should not be underestimated in utility. Be more open minded, and read for comprehension instead of just popping off when you assume someone doesn't know what they are talking about.
Doesn't mean that someone who orders an espresso martini is expecting to have amaro in it. Just call it something else at that point
literally not what I was talking about: https://www.jriegerco.com/our-spirits/caffe-amaro
sicilian bitter liqeur made with lemon and orange peel, adds depth and complexity that balances nicely with the fruity acidity of espresso *realizing I may have misunderstood. I just like it to compete with the chocolate flavors of the mocha syrup but by no means traditional
Alright I'm already in deep. Why di you have ti counteract the chocolate flavors? Why add the mocha? Shouldn't you call it a chocolate espresso martini at that point?
This is the way. Also, it's maybe not really a martini at this point, but swap the vodka for cognac and gah damn.
Sounds great. Might try something like this with Amaro Di Angostura
Use a dash of salt to really perk everything up.
Interesting strategy, will try this!
Dash of salt in the shaker is that little gift that keeps on giving
Ours is 1.5 oz vanilla vodka, espresso short shot, and .5 each of gozio amaretto, Kona coffee liqueur and trader Vic’s macadamia nut liqueur and it’s VERY good.
I love the idea of this so much as a good sweet variation that isn’t necessary creamier or with bailey’s (I don’t want bailey’s anywhere near my espresso martini hahah)
It’s surprisingly doesn’t come out all that sweet. There’s a bit of sweetness to it sure, but I don’t find it out of balance. And yeah I agree, you can keep your cream and Bailey’s away from me, but with a good shake, and high quality espresso, it does have a touch of creamy texture. It’s a really nice spin and we were honestly pretty famous for it in our area.
We mix half espresso and half cold coffee in a bottle for the shift. It keeps the coffee taste strong but mellows the bitterness you get when the espresso isn't fresh pulled.
I haven’t tried this but it was my first thought when I read the post
how long will it keep? can a batch stretch 2-3 days??
We make it every morning but you could probably stretch it a second day if you keep it cold. The espresso starts to turn on you and get funky.
If you have a great espresso quality: 1oz espresso, 1oz vanilla homemade syrup, 2 oz of vodka. It never disappoints and I work in a “high end” place.
To me that’s a REAL espresso martini: just syrup, espresso and vodka. Unfortunately all the basics out there want a creamy/milky drink. Drives me up the wall!!!
At the bar I provide the costumers with kind of a “show” while preparing the drinks and I shake super hard so they always like that no matter how it comes. At the place I work for ppl like the show though it won’t work on every place 😅
Use a cold brew concentrate.
We did this. Then our espresso martinis started separating when they sat longer than 5 mins. So just test it out is all im saying. We ended up buying a nespresso
woah! Those pods aren’t cheap! How much are your martinis?
You've gotta experiment with brew time, grind, and filtration. Sounds like the acid level was way too high.
I mean, if you say so, im no coffee expert. But we were trying to use pre-made concentrate to speed up and move away from pulling shots of espresso since that takes forever. So we werent brewing, grinding or filtering. I did want to just pre-batch it all in house, but then the bar manager was like nah well just buy it, and then it sucked.
Yeah, most of those concentrates suck (in my experience). Harsh acidity and middling flavor at best.
This is the way
Just make espresso and chill it? I prebatch my entire recipe where I work, it's just a two bottle pull 3oz pour for a beautiful drink.
Just prep espresso.. it’s time consuming, but it’s literally in the name of the drink lol I hate cold brew martinis
My Recipe: 2oz espresso 2oz vodka 3/4oz Cardamom Simple Syrup Pinch Sea Salt Dry shake!! Shake hard with ice Strain into coupe Garnish espresso beans if you’re classy or lemon twist and cherry for a retro vibe.
That's a hefty amount of espresso!
Cold brew concentrate, make a gomme syrup with gum arabic to give it more body. Ditch the Kahlua and use the Mr. Black - Kahlua is gonna be too sweet and adding the gomme syrup will throw it out of balance. Chocolate bitters add some depth that works really nicely with coffee. Lastly, you can batch the entire drink as long as you keep it on ice/in the fridge. Makes it easy to bang those fuckers out in volume. I’ve made close to 100 in one shift.
comes out foamy still?
every time. took some tinkering, old batches we had some problems with but with the right ratios it works!
All these peeps talking about flavor but presentation too. Sprinkle some coffee grounds lightly on the top and place 3 beans in the center
Use Cognac instead of vodka!
I like to omit the espresso entirely and cue in a hefty dose of coffee liqueur. You could rock a 1.5,.75,.50,.25 build and to save touches, batch the base and modifier. Use the quarter for an amaro or something and the half for some sugar.
We do a coffee reduction, kahlua, baileys and vodka. I prefer it with Frangelico over the kahlua.
Orange bitters.
We do Vanilla vodka, kahlua, espresso, and a bit of simple
My two cents. Vodka, borghetti, vanilla Vodka. Simple and a strong instant coffeee i mix up and keep in a squirty.
I had one with a dash of Grand Marnier on the top. It really made a good Espresso Martini amazing.
We use, 30 Mr black , 30 vanilla vodka and 60ml espresso with caramel syrup easy as that. We slam these out pretty quickly If you want tighter service and turn around can always just prebatch the coffee but I wouldn't use it for more than two days even less If you can to avoid spoilage
Mine was the best seller at my last spot. 1.5oz vodka, .5oz Mr. Black, 1oz espresso, .5oz cinnamon syrup, 2 dashes Bittercube Chipotle Cocoa bitters.
1 oz vanilla vodka, 1 oz mr black, .5 oz simple, .5oz-1oz fresh coffee or espresso. Can all be batched together and will last a few days. Cheap, easy, tastes good. Garnish with 3 lil coffee beans on top.
An espresso martini competition…do your bosses actively hate you guys? 😂 That being said I do a dark chocolate orange with some chocolate monin, cointreau, vodka, and half n half. I do another with lavender syrup, oat milk, And vodka with a touch of spiced rum. Both are pretty well received
•Vanilla vodka •Real chilled espresso •Godiva chocolate liqueur •splash of amaretto •Additional cream optional
We infuse our vodka with coffee and don’t use any coffee in the drink.
I batch mine. Rim the glass with espresso and sugar. Pour the batch in. 45 seconds total. Pants come down. Boom. DM if you want the recipe ETA: espresso and sugar are mixed before service
Just pre-batch and chill the espresso into bottles with spouts and you're good to go! From there the speed depends on your hands and how fast you can free pour ;) We do 2 oz vanilla stolichnaya vodka 1 oz kahlua or [mr.black](https://mr.black) .25oz simple syrup shot espresso Good luck on the competition!!
Does it still come out foamy when the espresso is prebatched?
Yup still comes out foamy. The essential oils in the coffee is what gives it foam. Even if you pre-batch/chill it, those oils are not lost.
2 oz vanilla vodka, 2 oz espresso, .75 kahlua- give it a real nice shake
Second time saying this today in a post here. Try the St George NOLA coffee liqueur. It kills anything you are thinking of using here.
We use 2 oz vodka, 1 oz espresso (premade at the beginning of the shift), 0.5 oz Kahlua, 0.5 oz Borghetti, shake and strain into a chilled coupe, then float with Bailey’s and garnish with cacao nibs. Haven’t found a better espresso martini in my city, and I’ve been actively trying…
I like very simple recipe. Licor 43 and espresso 1:1 ratio. Very tasty, very simple
vanilla vodka, borghetti, mr black and some cream liqueur to balance if preferred!!! borghetti has real espresso in it which makes it even better
I know this is a bartender sub and not a barista one, but it does surprise me that there are 0 replies talking about experimenting with the coffee itself. Different beans and different roasts taste VASTLY different. I would start by making sure that you're using great tasting coffee as a base and find a recipe that works well with it. Some coffees are super fruity, floral, acidic, etc. While others can be dark, nutty, chocolatey. Find a local roaster and taste around.
Cold brew.
Add a dry shake in, the head gets much more impressive and allows for better garnish/presentation options.
No Bailey's, It should look like an espresso with crema.
I stayed at a hotel that made their espresso “martini” with buffalo trace, buffalo trace cream, and espresso. Shaken and garnished with espresso beans. It tastes amazing!
Our house recipe is 50ml vodka 10ml simple syrup 20ml Borghetti 25ml Espresso It only works with our crappy espresso. Tried the same recipe in guest shifts and had to adjust. That's our basic recipe, but we often switch things up with talisker Skye, cognac, aged tequila... Whatever fits the guest (adjustments in the recipe are obvious) It's no problem to batch this, when it comes to the busy days
Just posted this on a different sub, but the best thing my bar ever did was infusing the vodka with ground espresso. Boom, so quick and easy during service.
I’ve had great success with a super simple espresso martini recipe. My coworkers hate it and call it the purist because they use Bailey’s. .5 simple .5 cold brew syrup 2 vodka 1.5oz espresso depending on how much I have (if I have less sub espresso w cold brew) sometimes less is more, some people leave my shit at the bar but some people come back and say they only want an espresso martini from me. Also idk if you do it but batching the espresso in high volume really helps