Espresso Margarita
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 18.1% ABV ∙
The Espresso Margarita is a shaken tequila cocktail that blends reposado tequila with fresh espresso, lime juice, and agave syrup, served up in a coupe. A frothy, dark crema tops a chilled sip that's bittersweet and bracing, with a silky, warming finish and barely-there brightness from citrus.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Tequila reposado 60 mlEspresso coffee 30 mlLime juice 10 mlAgave syrup 10 mlSaline solution 1 dash
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with three coffee beans
Tips
- Pre-chill the coupe while you brew the espresso so the drink doesn't lose its foam and chill the moment it's poured.
- Use the espresso hot straight off the machine — a cooled shot won't whip the same foam cap when shaken.
- Fine-strain hard to keep espresso grounds and ice shards out, leaving a clean, glossy surface for the foam.
History
The Espresso Margarita is credited to British bartender Dre Masso, who traces it to 2016, when he began combining a Tommy's Margarita with espresso while touring bars in the United States. He had already experimented with a tequila-based twist on the Espresso Martini years earlier, on a bar menu he ran from 2005 to 2010, but it was the later pairing of citrus with coffee's acidity that became the drink now known as the Espresso Margarita; he cut back the lime to keep the balance right once coffee was added.
The drink's direct parent, the Margarita, is a tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice cocktail whose own origin is disputed among several rival claimants across Mexican and American bars in the 1930s and 1940s. The Espresso Margarita keeps that tequila-and-citrus base but replaces the drink's usual mixer role with espresso, folding in the coffee-forward character of the Espresso Martini.
FAQ
How do you make an Espresso Margarita?
Shake reposado tequila, hot freshly brewed espresso, lime juice, agave syrup, and a dash of saline solution hard with ice, then fine-strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with three coffee beans. The hard shake with hot espresso is what builds the foam cap that defines the drink.
What is in an Espresso Margarita?
Reposado tequila, fresh espresso, lime juice, and agave syrup, with a dash of saline solution for seasoning. It is shaken hard and fine-strained into a coupe, garnished with coffee beans.
Do tequila and espresso go together?
Yes, reposado tequila's oak and caramel notes pair naturally with hot espresso, forming the whole premise of this cocktail.
What are some common margarita mistakes?
The biggest mistakes are using bottled lime juice instead of fresh, over-pouring the sweetener, and under-shaking so the drink arrives warm and thin. For an Espresso Margarita specifically, using lukewarm or old espresso instead of fresh, hot-brewed espresso kills the foam head and leaves the coffee note dull.
