The Espresso Martini has a fairly short history as far as cocktails go, with the drink rumoured to have been created in the 1980s by a London-based bartender, Dick Bradsell.

Bradsell was asked by a young woman for a drink that would “wake me up”, so the story goes. There was a coffee machine next to where Dick served drinks and he said it was a nightmare, as “there were coffee grounds everywhere”. With vodka all the rage and coffee constantly on his mind, Bradsell decided to combine the two, naming it the Vodka Espresso. The original recipe consisted of vodka, sugar syrup, two types of coffee liqueur and freshly made espresso.

Ingredients:
50ml vodka
50ml espresso coffee
25ml sugar syrup
25ml Kahlua coffee liqueur

Method:
1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well.

2. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with three coffee beans.

Why not have a Mocktail?
To make a non-alcoholic alternative, simply mix 50ml espresso coffee, 25ml vanilla syrup, 25ml water and ice in a cocktail shaker then strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with three coffee beans.

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY