Cappuccino Martini

Coffee, cream and a 1980s London accent

The espresso-and-vodka family began in London in the 1980s, when a bartender was asked for something to wake a customer up and pulled a shot from the bar’s new espresso machine. The Cappuccino Martini is the softer relative of that drink: the same coffee spine, with a coffee liqueur and a syrup that push it towards the taste of a cappuccino rather than a straight shot.

The measures

Two ounces of vodka is a lot, and it is deliberate — coffee is an overwhelming flavour and a smaller pour leaves the glass tasting of nothing but espresso. One ounce of coffee liqueur brings sugar, vanilla and body; Tia Maria is drier and more coffee-forward than Kahlúa, which is sweeter and thicker. One ounce of freshly pulled espresso is the whole point, and it must go into the tin hot, because the crema is what makes the foam. Half an ounce of simple syrup balances the bitterness.

The shake that makes the head

This is the one coffee drink where shaking hard matters more than shaking long. Combine everything with cubed ice and shake for fifteen seconds, hard enough to feel it in your shoulder, then tip it through a tea strainer into a glass you kept in the freezer. The crema and the aeration build a dense tan head; shake gently and you get flat brown liquid instead.

Strength and caffeine

Roughly 22% ABV, about 230 calories and one shot of caffeine — treat it as an after-dinner drink, not a morning one.

Common problems

• Pulling the espresso hours earlier, so no crema survives to become foam.
• Using instant coffee, which never foams and tastes metallic against the liqueur.
• Adding cream, which sounds right for a cappuccino and tastes heavy and greasy here.

Variations

A Carajillo uses Licor 43 in place of the liqueur and syrup for a lighter, spicier glass. A White Russian swaps the espresso for cream and drinks as a dessert.

Why does my cappuccino martini taste bitter?

Usually over-extracted espresso or too much liqueur. Pull a shorter shot and add a barspoon of syrup before changing anything else.

Can it be made without an espresso machine?

Yes, with a moka pot or a strong Aeropress shot, as long as it is fresh and hot when it hits the ice.