The Versatility of the Espresso Martini

JUMP TO RECIPE

The popularity of a specific drink is liable to rise and fall like any trend, but one that has irrefutably been having a long and particularly ardent moment through the past couple years is the Espresso Martini. Created in the 1980s by famed British bartender Dick Bradsell, this modern classic has evolved and gone through stages of popularity since its inception, but it seems to have truly hit a stride as of late. This popularity has much to do with its well known one-two punch, but also owes much to the drink’s customizability. Depending on how it’s made, it can present as a comforting dessert beverage or a bold kickstart to the night.

To consider its versatility, we’ll first look into its history. The legend goes that one night in the mid-1980s, a young woman, allegedly a famous model, came into the Soho Brasserie in London and asked Dick Bradsell for a drink that would, “wake me up and then f–k me up.” With this unapologetic template, Bradsell mixed a relatively straightforward balance of espresso from the Brasserie’s new machine with vodka and a touch of coffee liqueur. He called it the Vodka Espresso. Through the next fifteen years and his moves to various bars, Bradsell continued to experiment with and perfect the recipe, opting closer to inspiration from the Brandy Alexander for a more decadent drink. The 1990s saw it transformed in name and presentation into the Espresso Martini - a decade in mixing when popular pressure pushed everything into a stemmed v-glass and dubbed it a ‘tini. Bradsell kept experimenting through this, briefly entitling a variation the Pharmaceutical Stimulant during his time at the bar Pharmacy in Notting Hill. Interestingly, much credit is attributed to the third wave coffee culture of Australia in the 2000s for catalyzing an already beloved drink. Although it can be difficult to discern what caused the specific popularity spike in the last couple years, Bradsell’s reputation, Australian coffeeheads, the drink’s sweet/bitter balance, and its stimulating potency all enshrined its place as a modern classic.

Even if the creator himself hadn’t been tinkering with the recipe since the drink’s creation, coffee is an inherently personalized experience - so it stands to reason that this coffee cocktail would see many variants. Furthermore, the past couple decades have seen the release of many new coffee liqueurs, thus increasing this variability. Our preferred mix at BayTowne Wine & Spirits takes advantage of some of these newer additions to the coffee liqueur space and swaps out the fresh espresso for cold brew concentrate. Both options make a great Espresso Martini, fresh espresso lends more textural body and deep, roasty notes, while the cold brew concentrate makes for a more austere, direct profile. We turned to the Giffard Café du Honduras for the coffee liqueur, an impressive expression that highlights the nuances of good quality, single origin coffee in a liqueur package. And to emphasize the kick, we make use of Awakened Spirit, a coffee vodka collaboration between Albany Distilling and Death Wish Coffee - known for both its quality and strength.

Understandably so, the Espresso Martini has earned a respected place at the brunch table. The spring season offers many holidays that lend themselves to a fun brunch, making the Espresso Martini all the more relevant this time of year. Not to mention, when it comes to Mother’s Day, the pep-in-the-step it brings can be just the thing for hard working moms. If you do make one for the hardworking women in your life, make sure you remember the customizability and make it how they like it! It honors the tradition of the drink, and they more than deserve it.

Featured Products: