I do enjoy the espresso martini. A simple one, no irish cream. It’s always an adventure ordering one – as the recipes seem to vary by region, time of day, type of establishment and bartender (or are they called mixologists now?).
So, what makes them differ?
- The Vodka – again, I am a purist, but some folks use vanilla vodka, others layer in the espresso or coffee flavored vodkas
- Coffee v Espresso – I can’t even believe we are having this conversation, but yes, not even 2 days ago I had an espresso martini made with COFFEE.
- The Liqueur – To add to the depth of the cocktail, a good coffee liqueur is called for.
- Don’t be a lazy shaker. Don’t even present me with an espresso martini unless it has an expertly crafted layer of caramel colored foam.
- Speaking of lazy – they now offer premixed cocktails at your local liquor store where all you have to do is pour, shake and serve. No judgement here, as long as said pouring, shaking and serving is taking place around a campfire.
