Coffee and vodka
Mix your own Espresso Martini: The coffee cocktail with history
Three coffee beans on the foam crown complete the Espresso Martini.
© Maxim Fesenko / Getty Images
Espresso Martini is a legendary drink from the nineties that is experiencing a revival in many bars. But what did an ominous supermodel have to do with its creation and how do you mix the drink yourself for cocktail day?
At the May 13th is the day of the cocktail. Reason enough to treat yourself to a real classic mixed drink: the Espresso Martini. The elegant stimulant has been celebrating its comeback for a few years now. But the drink not only tastes exceptionally good, it also has a special history.
According to legend, at the end of the 80s, a then unknown but now world-famous model ordered a drink in London’s Fred’s Bar with the words: “Wake me up, and then fuck me up“, in German: Wake me up and knock me out. Dick Bradsell (May 4, 1959 to February 27, 2016), at the time a bartender in the restaurant and one of the most famous cocktail mixers in Great Britain, took the lady at her word and created Follow the first espresso martini. At least the bartender tells the story in one go Interview yourself.
But no one knows for sure whether it’s really true. Rumor has it that the later supermodel was Kate Moss or Naomi Campbell, like GQ writes – but this has not been confirmed. The fact that the two superstars are separated by four years speaks for Campbell and against Moss. In 1989, Moss would have been 15 years old – unlikely (but not impossible in 1980s London) that Bradsell would have made her a cocktail. Throughout his life, the inventor of the Espresso Martini never revealed who it really was. True to the motto: What happens in my bar stays there.
Shot in the dark: That’s what’s in the Espresso Martini
As mysterious as the origin of the coffee cocktail may be, its success story is just as unique. In 2017, the Espresso Martini was the most ordered cocktail in Australia. The Aussies love the drink so much that they sell it in small cans in a practical pack of four. Fans of the stimulant shell out around eight Australian dollars at the supermarket chain Asda for the deliciousness. In this country, those who are lazy about mixing have to go to Amazon in order to be able to buy a ready-made espresso martini.
Of course, a home-mixed espresso martini tastes better – and it has a lot to offer. Even the original ingredients tell a politically charged story: Bradsell uses this for his version Vyborowa vodka from Poland. Why this vodka?
As the inventor explains, it was still frowned upon to use Russian vodka for mixing at the end of the 1980s because of the East-West conflict. It would have been more prestigious to rely on Polish ones. Bradsell chose Wyborowa because it was more balanced and pure than other spirits. In addition to the vodka, you also need for your espresso martini espresso, Kaluha, sugar syrupice cubes, and the right thing Tooli.e. a measuring cup, a cocktail shaker, the Martini glasses and of course one Espresso maker.
When choosing coffee, go for a classic Italian espresso, such as this Om Coffee Diamante. Experienced espresso drinkers grind the beans fresh and boil them in the espresso maker if you don’t have one Portafilter machine call their own.
Kaluha is a well-known rum-based coffee liqueur that tastes sweet and powerful.
When choosing a sugar syrup, you should ideally choose a neutral variety such as Le Syrup de Monin.
The preparation
- 50 ml vodka
- 30 ml Kaluha
- 10 ml syrup
- espresso
- Ice cubes
The preparation is not rocket science: First, cool the martini glass with ice cubes. Then say loudly International Bartender Association Add ice cubes to the shaker and add one espresso martini each 50 milliliters (ml) vodka, 30 ml Kaluha, 10 ml syrup and an espresso. Shake and separate the liquid from the ice by decanting. Remove the ice from the shaker and shake the cocktail again in the shaker without ice. Before the espresso martini finds its place in the martini glass, remove the ice cubes that cooled it. Place three coffee beans on the foam crown and the delicacy is ready.
The “wrong” Martini
The Espresso Martini is by no means a real Martini. But it lacks the dry Italian vermouth. It owes its name mainly to the triangular glass in which it is often served. By the way: With Kaluha and vodka you have almost all the ingredients for a White Russian. All you need is the milk on top and you can enjoy the cult drink from the Dude from the film “The Big Lebowski”.
You might also be interested in:
Sources: theguardian.com, gq.co.uk, youtube.com , iba.com
This article contains so-called affiliate links. Further information are available here.