Black Russian
50 ml Vodka, 20 ml Coffee liqueur
Photo: Espresso martini - November 2024 - Sarah Stierch · All credits
Ingredients
Measures below are multiplied for 6 drinks. Unmeasurable amounts such as “a splash” are left as written.
- 240 ml Measuring jug A measuring jug: pour to the 240 ml line. Vodka
- 120 ml Measuring jug A measuring jug: pour to the 120 ml line. Coffee liqueur
- 180 ml Measuring jug A measuring jug: pour to the 180 ml line. Espresso - Freshly pulled and still hot
- 60 ml Jigger One large side (50 ml) of a standard jigger, plus two teaspoons. Simple syrup - Only if your espresso is bitter
- 18 beans Coffee beans (optional)
Measured in Millilitres (UK). Sign in to read these in American measures. Print a kitchen card at this size.
What the jigger, the spoons and the jug hold, in millilitres and in fluid ounces, is on the measures reference.
Quick version
- Shake vodka, coffee liqueur and hot espresso hard with ice.
- Double strain into a chilled coupe and top with three beans.
Method
Pitcher (6 drinks)Pitcher (6 drinks) - about 600 ml of measured ingredients, before ice and dilution.
Timings and per-glass steps below are written for one drink and are not scaled. A full jug takes longer to chill, so stir or shake until it is properly cold rather than by the clock, and pour over fresh ice one glass at a time.
- Pull a fresh espresso and let it cool for a minute - hot coffee makes a flabby foam.
- Shake the vodka, coffee liqueur, espresso and syrup very hard with plenty of ice.
- Double strain into a chilled coupe.
- Wait a few seconds for the crema to settle, then float three coffee beans on top.
Serve it
Volumes in this story are multiplied for the size above, along with the ingredients. Years, ratios and the capacities of glasses and jugs are left as written.
Espresso Martini
London, the mid-1980s: a model asked Dick Bradsell for something that would wake her up and then, on second thoughts, mess her up. He shook vodka, coffee liqueur and a fresh espresso together, and the drink has been keeping dinners going long past pudding ever since.
Getting it right
The coffee has to be fresh and hot, straight from the machine - this is a drink that tastes of coffee or of nothing at all. Shake it harder than feels reasonable: the thick cream on top comes from the oils in the espresso being thrown into the air, so a polite shake leaves you with a flat brown drink. Add the espresso last, so it goes into the tin still hot, then double strain it and float three coffee beans on the foam. Serve it before anybody starts saying they ought to be getting home.
Tasting notes
Bitter and sweet at once, with a velvety crema and a real caffeine prickle underneath. A pudding, a coffee and a nightcap in one glass.
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