Celebrate National Espresso Martini Day With This Gin-Based Riff on the Wildly Popular Cocktail

It’s National Espresso Martini Day! There really is a national holiday for almost anything, huh? (Photo: Sebastian Coman/Pexels)

An espresso martini is a cocktail in which vodka, coffee liqueur and espresso are shaken until icy cold and served in a chilled glass. The drink is iconic for its thick, frothy top and balance of sweet and bitter flavors.

With March 15 marking National Espresso Martini Day, there’s no finer occasion to concoct the wildly popular caffeine-infused libation. Yet, settling for lackluster, flavorless vodka is simply out of the question. Elevating this cocktail experience entails trading the mundane spirit for a complex, spice-forward gin.

Gin Espresso Martini Recipe

• 2 oz Spice-forward gin (recommendations below)
• 1 oz Coffee liqueur
• 1 oz Chilled espresso
• Garnish: 3 Coffee beans

In a cocktail shaker full of ice, add all the drink ingredients. Shake it like you mean it! We want this cocktail to be super frothy, so shake hard for a solid 15-20 seconds or until the outside of the cocktail shaker feels icy.

Gently pour your drink into a chilled glass (typically a coupe or martini glass) and top it with your three coffee beans in an arrangement that brings you joy.

Gin recommendations: Since we’re elevating the espresso martini, we want a spiced-up gin that truly complements the dark, bitter notes of coffee. Look for gins with botanicals such as anise, allspice, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and black pepper. We recommend the following: Bertha’s Revenge Irish Gin, Ada Lovelace Gin, Starkeeper Gin, Portobello Road No. 171 Gin and Driftless Glen Double Barrel Gin. Of course, don’t be afraid to use any gin you have on hand. It will still create a tasty cocktail!

Cocktail modifications: For a sweeter drink, add in 1/2 ounce of simple syrup and only 1/2 ounce of coffee liqueur. If you don’t have any espresso at the ready, cold brew concentrate or regular coffee will work in a pinch.

Cheers!

Read next:

Top 7 Irish Gins Worthy of a Saint Patrick’s Day Celebration

Clover Club Recipe: A Pre-Prohibition Gin Cocktail With an Unexpected Origin

Emma Watson Reveals Her Secret to the Perfect Espresso Martini

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