After months of ‘research’ (and headaches) we finally cracked our espresso martini recipe at The Renaissaint. It was tiresome work, but someone’s got to do it…here’s the results so you can casually whip out the perfect espresso martini at your next dinner party.

INGREDIENTS (MAKES ONE)

60ml Vanilla Vodka

60ml Kahlua

25ml Sugar Syrup

60ml Espresso (instant espresso powder is perfectly fine)

Ice Cubes

3 Coffee Beans (purely decorative)

YOU WILL NEED:

Cocktail Shaker
Strainer or something to catch any ice cubes that haven’t melted
Martini glasses or your choice

DIRECTIONS

Put your martini glass in the fridge / freezer while you are preparing the drinks so it is chilled before you pour your espresso martini
Add the Kahlua, vodka and sugar syrup into a cocktail shaker
Make 60 ml of strong espresso and add it (straight away while hot) into the cocktail shaker with the other ingredients
Add a handful of ice cubes (5-6 large cubes or enough to have chilled the liquid after a shake)
Shake vigorously for around 10-15 seconds
Pour through strainer into your chilled martini glass and wait for it to settle
Purely decorative but add 3 coffee beans in a triangle on top of the settled froth for an added flourish
Enjoy your perfect, smooth espresso martini

TIPS, TRICKS & THINGS WE’VE FOUND

It doesn’t have to be Kahlua, it can be any coffee liqueur, but we found that it adds to the smoothness
It is also fine to omit the sugar syrup if you wish, but you will find it is more luxurious/creamier with a small amount to add a little sweetness
With the espresso, we tried various and settled on a Nescafe Gold Instant Espresso Powder with a couple of teaspoons of espresso powder with just enough boiling water to make a strong espresso
Large ice cubes are advisable so they cool the drink and don’t just immediately melt
You can play around with the amount you shake the liquid to get an amount of froth you are happy with. We find that with the above recipe it doesn’t need to be much more than around 10-15 seconds of shaking

GET STARTED WITH EVERYTHING YOU NEED BELOW…

Cocktail Sets

– We love this copper cocktail set from Amazon at £59.99: Buy Now

– Or a basic slightly cheaper 12 piece set here with everything you need for £19.99: Buy Now

Martini Glasses

– Set of 4 Elegant Coupe Crystal Martini Glasses for £33.99 – Buy Now

Vanilla Vodka

– Absolut Vanilla Vodka, 70cl – Buy Now or

Smirnoff Vanilla Flavoured Vodka, 70cl – Buy Now

Espresso Powder

– Nescafe Gold Blend Espresso Instant Coffee, 100g – Buy Now

Coffee Liqueur