As the heat of summer meanders on and the days feel longer (even though they’re getting shorter), my lack of sleep always catches up with me. Between the hot nights and summer life stretching on into the night, all while waking up earlier to take advantage of the cooler mornings, proper sleep always feels unattainable in the summer months. To combat the lack of sleep, I find myself making espresso martinis before going out. Here’s our go-to recipe, Vermontified, with notes below:
Espresso Martini Recipe: Vermont Edition
We usually make it with Grey Goose and Mr. Black‘s, but this is the Vermont Edition. So, enjoy it with your preferred local ingredients.
Serves 1
- 1 oz vodka Smugglers’ Notch Vodka
- 1 oz coffee liqueur Appalachian Gap Espresso Liqueur
- 1 oz chilled espresso or cold brew Carrier Roasting Co
- 3 coffee beans for presentation
Pour all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously. Serve up in a chilled martini glass fresh out of the freezer. Grab some beans from an old bag of coffee you have lying around, and float two or three in the foam for presentation. Serve immediately.
The Foam: Perfect espresso martini presentation is all about the bubbles. The amount of foam you get when shaking is based on the freshness of the cold brew or espresso. The fresher it is, the more foam will froth up. For maximum froth, use cold brew or espresso that you brewed within the last 24 hours. If your cold brew or espresso isn’t fresh, don’t sweat it. It will still taste delicious. It just won’t be as effervescent.
The Espresso: While espresso martinis are a great cocktail in the winter, I find myself shaking them up more often in the summer. In the summer, I use home-made cold brew. In the winter, I make extra servings of espresso when making an espresso drink and put it in a jar to chill in the fridge for later.
Measurements: We keep it simple with the classic ratio of one-to-one-to-one. Easy to remember for one drink and even easier to multiply for as many servings as you need. We don’t add additional sweetener that many recipes call for. It’s unnecessary.
Substitutions: Espresso martinis are very flexible when you need to make substitutions. Store-bought cold brew is great instead of espresso. If you’re keeping it local, look for Fogbuster canned nitro black cold brews, from Greenfield, Mass. Usually, Dutton’s in Manchester has them. Also, Carrier instant coffee makes cold-brew in a flash, just use cold water instead of hot. But, any store-bought black cold brew will work. If you don’t have any cold brew or espresso, just skip it and do 1.5 oz of vodka and 1.5 oz of coffee liqueur. And, vice versa, if you don’t have coffee liqueur: 1.5 oz of vodka and 1.5 oz of cold brew/espresso. If you leave out the liqueur, you may want a dash of sweetener, like maple syrup, agave, stevia or simple syrup.
Smuggler’s Notch Vodka is available in the 802 state liquor stores and at their tasting room in Manchester. Barr Hill is another excellent Vermont-made vodka and easy to find in Vermont. The Split Spirts/Appalachian Gap Espresso Liqueur is a little hard to find, but try the Dorset Farmers Market or the Split Spirits tasting room in Manchester at Local Maverick. They also have a Maple Creemee version, if you’re a fan, and their own Espresso Martini recipe on their website for a sweet version.
If you don’t keep your martini glasses in the freezer like us bar nerds, chill your glasses ahead of time. Or, if you don’t have time or space to chill your glassware, serve it over ice in any low cocktail glass.
A Big Impression: Keep a coffee liqueur on your bar cart and they will be easy to make anytime. Espresso martinis are one of those cocktails that are easy to whip up, but leave a big impression. The few details (freeze the glasses, use fresh cold brew/espresso for the foam and drop some coffee beans on top) create a cocktail that looks way harder to make than it is and will impress any cocktail snob.
You can experiment with different liqueurs and coffee to bring out a variety of flavors and aromas, but you’ll always get that classic chocolatey-coffee taste. This does make them a little dangerous as they do go down easy. The coffee flavor tends to hide how potent they are, so don’t down too many before leaving the house. Actually, I mixed up one while writing this. Need my caffeine boost before going out.
What’s Your Favorite Espresso Martini Recipe?
Let us know at hi@postcardstation.net
