Espresso Martini Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 ozHennessy Cognac
- 1 ozEspresso or Cold Brew Concentrate
- 1 ozMr Black
- 0.25 ozRich Demerara Syrup
Method
Combine all ingredients in a shaking tin.
Add ice.
Shake hard for 12 seconds.
Double strain into a chilled Nick and Nora glass.
Garnish with three coffee beans.
Notes
This recipe is NOT a knock on Dick Bradsell or what he created in the 1980s. The Espresso Martini is a good cocktail. The story of how and why it was made is also very fantastic.
BUT.......
Vodka is a boring choice of spirit in this cocktail. Its only purpose is to make it a boozy drink.
Using rum, tequila, mezcal, whiskey, or even cognac will make this cocktail delicious.
Why Do I Use Cognac in My Espresso Martini Recipe?
I want to thank Anders Erickson for this. We were hanging out one night, and he told me he started using Cognac for the past several years because it pairs very well with coffee, giving it a more robust and flavorful drinking experience.
He even told me he likes adding a lemon peel to the shaking process to brighten up the martini. I do like doing that, but here in Iowa, when I have made that way for people, they weren't huge fans.