Espresso Martini Recipe: How to Get the Perfect Foam

An espresso martini is 50 ml vodka, 30 ml coffee liqueur, 30 ml fresh espresso and 10 ml sugar syrup, shaken very hard and strained into a chilled glass. Done right, it's cold, rich, lightly sweet and topped with a thick, creamy foam.

The foam is what everyone wants, so most of this guide is about getting it.

Espresso Martini Recipe

Ingredients (1 drink)

• 50 ml (1⅔ oz) vodka
• 30 ml (1 oz) coffee liqueur, such as Kahlúa
• 30 ml (1 oz) strong, fresh espresso
• 10 ml (⅓ oz) sugar syrup
• 3 coffee beans, for garnish
• Ice

Method

1. Brew the espresso and let it cool for a minute or two.
2. Chill a coupe or martini glass.
3. Add everything to a shaker and fill it with ice.
4. Shake as hard as you can for about 15 seconds.
5. Double strain (through the shaker strainer and a small mesh sieve) into the glass.
6. Let it settle for a few seconds, then lay three coffee beans on the foam.

How to Get Thick Foam

The foam comes from the natural oils and gases in fresh espresso. When you shake hard, they trap air and form a creamy layer. Four things matter:

1. Fresh espresso. Coffee that sat for an hour has lost most of the gas that makes foam. Brew it right before you shake.
2. A hard, long shake. Shake longer than you would for a sour. You're whipping air into the drink.
3. Plenty of ice. Fill the shaker. More ice means more agitation and a colder drink.
4. Double straining. The fine sieve catches ice chips, so the foam stays smooth.

Hot espresso is fine. It melts a bit more ice, but many bartenders think the extra water helps the texture.

No Espresso Machine?

You still have options:

• Moka pot or AeroPress. Strong and close to espresso. Works well.
• Cold brew concentrate. Smooth, but it foams less. Use 30 ml.
• Instant espresso. Dissolve 1 tsp in 30 ml of hot water. It's surprisingly good in a pinch.

Avoid regular drip coffee. It's too weak and makes a thin, watery drink.

Easy Variations

Tequila espresso martini. Use reposado tequila in place of vodka. Its agave and vanilla notes work great with coffee.

Salted caramel. Swap the sugar syrup for caramel syrup and add a tiny pinch of salt.

Less sweet. Drop the syrup. The coffee liqueur already brings sugar.

Vanilla. Use vanilla vodka, or add 5 ml vanilla syrup.

A Short History

The drink was created in London in the 1980s by bartender Dick Bradsell. The popular story says a guest asked for something that would wake her up and then get her drunk. The drink went by a few names before "espresso martini" stuck. In the 2020s it became one of the most ordered cocktails in the world.

Espresso Martini FAQ

Is an espresso martini a real martini? No. A real martini is gin or vodka with vermouth. Anything served in a martini glass got called a "martini" in the 1980s and 90s.

Does an espresso martini have caffeine? Yes. A single shot of espresso has roughly 60 to 80 mg of caffeine. Keep that in mind late at night.

Why is my espresso martini not foamy? Usually old coffee, too little ice or a short shake. Fix those three and the foam comes back.

What's the best coffee liqueur? Kahlúa is the classic. Smaller craft coffee liqueurs are often less sweet and more coffee-forward.

What to Try Next

Like coffee drinks? Try a White Russian or an Irish Coffee. Or see our best vodka cocktails.

Not sure what to order tonight? Mixlio reads the bar menu from a photo and ranks the drinks for your taste.