Ingredients

  • 1½ ozvodka
  • 1½ ozirish cream liqueur
  • 1 ozespresso
  • ½ ozcoffee liqueur
  • 🍋3 coffee beans(garnish)

🔧 Tools

cocktail shakerjiggerfine strainercoupe glass

Instructions

  1. Brew one shot of espresso and allow it to cool to room temperature or chill briefly.
  2. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
  3. Add the vodka, Irish cream liqueur, espresso, and coffee liqueur to the shaker.
  4. Shake vigorously for 15 to 20 seconds until the shaker is very cold — this builds the foam.
  5. Fine-strain into a chilled coupe glass.
  6. Garnish with three coffee beans in the center of the foam and serve immediately.

📜 History

The espresso martini was created by British bartender Dick Bradsell in the early 1980s at the Soho Brasserie in London, reportedly for a model who asked for something to wake her up and give her a kick. As the espresso martini surged back into global popularity in the early 2020s — driven by social media virality and a broader caffeinated cocktail boom — home bartenders began reworking the formula. Adding Irish cream became one of the most loved modifications, replacing or supplementing the coffee liqueur with a richer, whiskey-backed cream for a smoother finish and fuller foam. By 2024, the Irish cream espresso martini was among the most-searched cream liqueur cocktail variations worldwide.

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