Easy Espresso Martini Cold Brew Recipe (No Espresso Required!)

Inside: In the mood for a delicious, decadent after-dinner drink? This espresso martini recipe is fast with the shortcut of cold brew. No more waiting to brew the espresso!

My girlfriends and I have been on an espresso martini kick lately. One person orders one and then everyone else can’t resist the temptation and has to have one too.

Espresso martinis feel like a little luxury in a glass. Rich coffee flavor with a touch of sweetness and a little boozy boost.

We were restricted to having this treat while out, because who wants to wait to brew espresso? Until we made this “how did we not know about this” discovery…

The game-changing Starbucks cold brew.

So good news for us—espresso martinis are now easy to make at home!🍸

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What is an espresso martini?

The classic espresso martini is made with vodka, freshly brewed espresso, coffee liqueur, and simple syrup (it’s not technically a martini since it contains no gin or vermouth). This coffee cocktail was reportedly created by ​Dick Bradsell in a London bar in the late eighties when a famous model requested a cocktail that would “wake her up and **** her up“.

How is a cold brew espresso martini different than the traditional one?

Instead of fresh espresso, this shortcut version uses ready-to-go storebought cold brew coffee concentrate, so it’s much faster. If you’re an espresso snob maybe you can tell the difference in this cocktail, but I certainly can’t. The only thing you miss out on is the signature froth of espresso (but I’m covering some ways around that further down).

Simple ingredients for a cold brew espresso martini.

You can shake this delicious drink up in a snap with just a few ingredients. My recipe does deviate even a little more from the traditional espresso martini, simply because I like mine with a hint of cream. The cream along with the Kahlua add the sweetness without making it too sweet.

• 2 oz. Vodka
• 1/2 oz. Kahlua or coffee liqueur
• 1 oz. Starbucks cold brew concentrate (on the coffee aisle in the grocery store)
• 1/4 oz. coffee creamer (I used sweet cream flavor here but vanilla would also be good)
• Ice
• Whole coffee beans or espresso beans for garnish

1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice.

2. Add the vodka, cold brew coffee concentrate, Kahlua, and cream.

3. Securely cover with the lid and vigorously shake for about 30 seconds to mix, chill, and work up a little foam.

4. Pour into martini glasses and garnish with three coffee beans to give it the look of the classic cocktail. Or make it even more “classic” in a coupe glass.

Options and variations to this cold brew martini recipe.

• Express Shortcut Espresso Martini: Use Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew Coffee beverage instead of concentrate and forgo the cream:
  • 1/2 oz. Vanilla Sweet Cream Coffee beverage
  • 1/2 oz. Kahlua
  • 2 oz. Vodka

• Coffee: Sub the cold brew with strong coffee made with a drip coffee maker or French press. And of course, real espresso can be used with this recipe.
• Sweetness: Use the traditional simple syrup or some vanilla syrup for a sweeter martini.
• Creaminess: Add more or less cream or leave it out altogether depending on your taste. Or use a creamy liqueur to make it creamier (and sweeter).
• Alcohol: Substitute vanilla vodka for the regular vodka, And Bailey’s Irish Cream or a coffee cream liqueur for the Kahlua,
• Garnish: In addition to the whole beans, dust some cocoa powder on the top. Or swirl chocolate syrup into the glass before filling.
• Frozen Espresso Martini: Freeze the cold brew concentrate in ice trays. Place the cold brew ice cubes into a blender with the other ingredients and blend until smooth.

Can you make a big batch of cold brew coffee martinis ahead of time?

Sure—just increase the amounts keeping the ratios you like and store it in a covered pitcher or an airtight container in the fridge. Then when you’re ready to serve, shake up a couple at a time in a cocktail shaker and pour into martini glasses.

For tips on how much alcohol to buy for a party and more, see the post “Entertaining 101: Basic How-To Guide for the Home Hostess“.

How to get a foamy top on a cold brew espresso martini.

Taking the cold brew shortcut does cut down on the foam you can achieve. The oils in the real espresso and the hot liquid meeting the cold cause the espresso martini’s signature froth. If you care about the foam, try this for a more frothy martini:

• For white foam, whip up an egg white (one per cocktail). I used the milk frother I mix my coffee with and a glass. Or you can shake the egg whites until foamy in a cocktail shaker. If you want sweet foam, add a little simple syrup. Then pour it over the top of each cocktail.
• For a more coffee colored foam, add the egg white directly to the other ingredients in the cocktail shaker. Shake the cocktail ingredients over ice, remove the ice, add the egg whites, and do a dry shake until the drink is foamy,
• Or in place of egg whites, buy a cocktail foam alternative made just for this.

Why are there always three coffee beans on an espresso martini?

The garnish on this delicious cocktail is almost always the same—three coffee beans. They’re said to represent “health, wealth, and happiness”.

I’ll toast to that.

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