Irish Espresso Martini
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 14.2% ABV ∙
The Irish Espresso Martini is a shaken coffee cocktail of Irish cream liqueur, vanilla vodka, fresh espresso, and sugar syrup, served up in a coupe. A creamy, velvety body gives way to a light coffee foam on top, with a smooth, lightly sweet finish that lingers softly.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Irish cream liqueur 45 mlVanilla vodka 30 mlEspresso coffee 30 mlSugar syrup 10 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with three coffee beans floated in a petal formation in the center of the cocktail’s foamy head
Tips
- Brew the espresso just before shaking — hot, freshly pulled coffee builds the foam a cooled or instant coffee cannot.
- Float the coffee beans gently on the foam right after straining, before the head has time to settle.
- Shake hard and long enough to fully chill the hot espresso — a short shake leaves the drink lukewarm and thin.
History
The Irish Espresso Martini is a modern riff that swaps in Irish whiskey or Irish cream liqueur for the espresso martini's vodka, giving the coffee cocktail a whiskey-forward or creamier edge. It circulates mainly through drink brand recipe pages and cocktail blogs rather than through any single documented bar or bartender, so no individual creator or date has become attached to it.
The lineage traces to the Espresso Martini – IBA, most commonly credited to bartender Dick Bradsell, who is said to have mixed it in London around 1983 while working at the Soho Brasserie, reportedly for a customer who asked for a drink that would wake her up and get her drunk at the same time. Some retellings of that founding story, including the identity of the woman and the exact year, are disputed, but Bradsell's authorship of the vodka-espresso-coffee liqueur original is the widely accepted account.
FAQ
What's in an Irish Espresso Martini?
Irish cream liqueur, vanilla vodka, freshly brewed hot espresso, and sugar syrup, shaken with ice and fine-strained into a coupe. It is finished with three coffee beans floated in a petal shape on the foam.
Is an espresso martini made with Baileys or Kahlúa?
The classic Espresso Martini is made with vodka, coffee liqueur such as Kahlúa, and espresso, with no Baileys involved. This Irish Espresso Martini is a variation that swaps in Irish cream liqueur alongside vanilla vodka, giving it a creamier, dessert-like character.
Why don't bartenders like making espresso martinis?
Many bartenders find espresso martinis time-consuming because they require freshly brewed hot espresso and a long, hard shake to chill the drink and build proper foam, unlike a quick pour-and-stir cocktail. Rushing either step leaves a thin, unchilled, foam-less drink, so a busy bar can be slowed down by orders for it.
