Name: Espresso Martini
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 oz vodka; 2 oz espresso, chilled; 1 oz Kahlua or coffee liqueur; 1/2 oz vanilla simple syrup*; pinch of cinnamon, plus more for garnish; ice

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Espresso Martinis are sweet, strong, and velvety smooth with just a hint of vanilla and cinnamon. This martini is the perfect holiday dessert drink for sipping treeside.

Espresso Martini Recipe with Vanilla and Cinnamon

Espresso martinis have made a resurgence in the world of at home mixology and for good reason. They are simple to make, smooth and delicious to drink and fill the space of an after dinner coffee and cocktail in one. With a strong shot of espresso tempered down with sweet coffee liqueur and vodka, these martinis will have you buzzing in all the best ways.

While there are lots of variations of this classic drink, I like to make mine with vanilla syrup and a dash of cinnamon. Cinnamon and coffee are a match made in heaven as far as I'm concerned and make the drink a bit more holiday in flavor as well.

Espresso Martini Ingredients

Vodka - Use your favorite vodka. Tip: keep your vodka stored in the freezer so that it's always ice cold for drinks.
Coffee Liqueur - I use Kahlua because I usually have it in my liquor cabinet, however but you can find other coffee liqueurs that do not have a mix of rum in them such as Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur.
Espresso - Brewed espresso or an espresso concentrate will work fine.
Vanilla Simple Syrup - You can buy store bought vanilla syrup or make it yourself. My recipe is in this post for Vanilla Bean Old Fashioned.
Cinnamon - I add a pinch of ground cinnamon to the cocktail before shaking as well as for garnish.

How to Make an Espresso Martini

Chill martini glasses in the freezer until just before serving.
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice; combine vodka, espresso, Kahlua, simple syrup and a pinch of cinnamon.
Shake for 30 seconds until very well chilled and foamy.
Strain into chilled martini glass.
Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon for garnish and serve.

Batch Espresso Martini

If you are serving a crowd, you can pre-make a large batch of espresso martinis easily by using the same portions in my recipe. 2 parts espresso, 2 parts vodka, etc. That might equate to 2 cups for example.

Store the mixture in a large carafe in the refrigerator. Before serving, shake martinis over ice and pour into chilled martini glasses. Shaking the martini to chill and dilute is essential to the flavor of the cocktail so don't skip this part!

Tip for the perfect foamy cocktail

Part of the allure of an espresso martini is the thick foamy top. This is achieved by shaking the ingredients really, really well in a metal cocktail shaker with plenty of ice.

Metal cocktail shakers really are the best for getting that icy, restaurant quality cocktail at home because they get so cold. If your hands are frozen after shaking, you are doing it properly.

Espresso martinis are a fun girls night cocktail or after dinner dessert drink to serve guests. You can adjust the sweetness with the amount of simple syrup you add or leave it out completely if you prefer! Cheers.

More Holiday Cocktail Recipes to Try: