How To Make An Espresso Martini Without an Espresso Machine

Is it me or is everyone and their mother drinking espresso martinis? I first noticed it while watching "Below Deck" (please don' judge my trash-tv picks) on a 3-hour flight. Every single person that ordered a drink on that huge yacht wanted an espresso martini, making the steward run up and down the stairs to the galley to make freshly brewed espresso. By the end of it, she was sweating, late on serving dinner, and forgot to put their piles of luggage away.

What is the Origin of an Espresso Martini

Getty Images

When it comes to drink recipes, the Espresso Martini is still a newcomer to the scene, hitting the bar in the early 1980s by London bartender Dick Bradsell. According to Dick, a famous model came into his bar asking for a cocktail pick-me-up. Seeing a coffee machine nearby, Dick combined fresh espresso with vodka and poured it into a martini glass. It was originally called a vodka espresso and contained two different coffee liqueur, vodka, simple syrup, and espresso coffee.

The cocktail recipe stuck, and recently, became the hottest coffee cocktail, especially for the 20s and 30s crowd. Toted as the new "Red Bull and vodka" Jessica Sidman of the Washingtonian shares that the once after-dinner drink is getting added into the cocktail bar rotation, with bartenders and mixologists adding their own little twists to the espresso martini recipe. Nina May, a restaurant in New York City enhances the coffee lover cocktail with "Swing's coffee, vodka, chocolate bitters, orange essence, and a chocolate crumble garnish" Caruso's Grocery in Washington D.C. serves house-made espresso-rum liqueur, vanilla bean-infused vodka, and fresh espresso shaken in a cocktail shaker then served in a cocktail glass with a notable light brown froth.

How to Make an Espresso Martini Without an Espresso Machine

Nescafé

Don't have an espresso machine? No problem! Making an Espresso martini at home is easy with instant coffee, with almost zero prep time. Add a little something extra to Sunday brunch in bed with this espresso martini recipe from Nescafé. All you need is instant coffee, milk, chocolate syrup, vodka, and coffee liqueur such as Kahlua.

Fill pitcher or cocktail shaker with hot water and coffee granules; stir until coffee is dissolved. Add milk, Abuelita syrup, vodka and coffee liqueur.

Fill with ice cubes. Stir or shake for 10 to 15 seconds. Strain into 4 cocktail
(martini) glasses. Serve immediately.

Products featured on Wide Open Country are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.