When we first went in search of the ultimate Espresso Martini back in 2019, the drink was still ascendant. It had not yet become the caffeinated juggernaut that it was in 2021, a drink as ubiquitous as it was reviled, nor had it had become the monster it was in 2023, inexplicably topped with Parmesan cheese. Today, the drink has settled into a less unhinged stasis, becoming a fixture of every cocktail bar, whether it’s on the menu or not.
Experts Featured
Brian Evans is the director of bars for New York–based Sunday Hospitality, which includes Lobby Bar at the Hotel Chelsea and Rule of Thirds, among others.
Chloe Frechette is the executive editor of Punch.
Sarah Morrissey is the bar manager at New York’s Le Veau d’Or.
Mary Anne Porto is the editor of Punch.
Izzy Tulloch is a bartender at Lucy’s and Mister Paradise in New York.
“We’ve embraced it,” says Brian Evans, director of bars for Sunday Hospitality. “We’ve set our bars up for it—we train our team to have them ready to serve by the tray.” At Lobby Bar, one of Sunday Hospitality’s properties in New York’s Chelsea Hotel where judges convened for this tasting, there is even a built-in espresso machine on the backbar for precisely this purpose.
But, as with the classic Martini, more Espresso Martinis does not necessarily translate to more good Espresso Martinis. It does, however, mean more variation. Very few of the submitted recipes adhered to the classic build created by London bartender Dick Bradsell in the 1980s—vodka, fresh espresso, coffee liqueur, simple syrup—instead calling on everything from amaro to Frangelico to put a twist on the template. Entries were divided between the use of fresh espresso and cold-brew concentrate, the latter a popular substitute for bars without access to an espresso machine. The judges went into the tasting with no preference for one over the other. “Real espresso is not important at all to me,” said Sarah Morrissey, bar director at Le Veau d’Or. “I’ve made the drink both ways and they both froth up nicely.” Izzy Tulloch, who currently works at Lucy’s and Mister Paradise, noted that, for optimal froth, “freshness is as important with espresso as it is with cold brew.”
As the Espresso Martinis came out, it became apparent that the most common pitfall facing the drink today is the tendency to be overly saccharine. “Isn’t the whole point of the renaissance of this drink that we’ve learned to make it not sweet?” asked Morrissey. Those that stood out managed to feel rich, but not cloying.
The judges, while unanimous in their favorites, were not unanimous in their rankings of those favorites, resulting in a three-way tie. Among the winners was the Espresso Martini of Patrick Smith, senior beverage manager for Union Square Hospitality Group. His take on the classic was also a favorite in 2019, and might be considered the most archetypal of the bunch. It calls for vodka, fresh espresso, Mr Black coffee liqueur, Demerara syrup and an unorthodox but not uncommon addition of vanilla liqueur. It was garnished with three coffee beans, which Evans suggested act as a testament to a good head of foam; Tulloch, who prefers no garnish, noted that they often end up clogging the dishwasher. The judges thought this drink had the best texture of the group, and the “dimension” and “balance” they were looking for.
Another favorite was the Espresso Martini of Bar Valentina in New York, which calls for vanilla-infused vodka, Kahlúa, fresh espresso and rich Demerara syrup. As with real espresso, a citrus note on the palate led to a pleasant bitterness. “It finishes like when you bite into a chocolate-covered espresso bean,” said Tulloch.
The third winner was Valentino Longo’s Espresso Martini from ViceVersa in Miami. His recipe likewise leans on fresh espresso in addition to vodka and Borghetti coffee liqueur, while an unexpected splash of amaretto brings another layer of richness to the recipe. “It has a charming ‘burnt cinnamon roll’ thing going on,” said Evans, who noted that while he typically only indulges in one Espresso Martini per sitting, “I would drink two, if not three, of these.”
