Ingredients
- 1½ ozvodka
- ¾ ozcoffee liqueur
- 1½ ozespresso
- 1 pinchsea salt
- 🍋Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano(garnish)
🔧 Tools
Instructions
- Brew a fresh shot of espresso and set it aside for 2 minutes — allowing it to cool slightly preserves the crema and protects the foam when shaken.
- Add vodka, coffee liqueur, cooled espresso, and a pinch of sea salt to a cocktail shaker.
- Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously for at least 15 seconds to build maximum foam.
- Double-strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a well-chilled coupe glass, pouring slowly to transfer all the foam.
- Immediately microplane or finely grate a generous layer of Parmigiano Reggiano directly over the foam and serve at once.
📜 History
Cocktail creator Carlos Ruiz developed the foundational concept in June 2022 as an entry for a Licor 43 competition, producing a Parmesan-topped espresso drink he called Café Con Queso. The combination attracted wider attention when bartender and TikTok content creator Jordan Hughes of @highproofpreacher posted his interpretation on Valentine's Day 2023, using a streamlined vodka-espresso-coffee liqueur base and finishing it with microplaned Parmesan. Hughes credited Seattle-based cocktail consultant Jonathan Stanyard with the original inspiration, who had developed a more complex version using truffle-infused cognac and lactic-vanilla syrup. Hughes' simpler approach was the spark that sent the hashtag #parmesanespressomartini past 328 million TikTok views, establishing the savory-sweet combination as one of the most-discussed cocktail moments of the decade.