Café Martini Recipe

Chill glass

Place a martini or coupe glass in the freezer or fill briefly with ice water to chill while you prepare the cocktail.

Brew espresso

Brew a fresh shot of espresso (about 1 oz). Let it rest 10–20 seconds so it’s very hot but not steaming; a small amount of crema is desirable.

Add ingredients to shaker

Into a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice, pour 1.5 oz Stoli Vanilla Vodka, 0.5 oz Amaro Montenegro, 0.75 oz Kahlúa, and 1 oz freshly brewed espresso. If you prefer a slightly sweeter drink, add 0.25 oz simple syrup.

Dry shake (optional)

For a foamier top, first seal the shaker and shake vigorously without ice for 8–10 seconds to emulsify the espresso and liqueurs. Then add ice and proceed to the next step. If you skip this, just perform the full wet shake.

Wet shake

Seal the shaker and shake vigorously with ice for 12–15 seconds until the outside of the shaker is very cold and you see condensation. This chills and dilutes the cocktail and creates a silky texture.

Double strain

Discard the ice/water from the chilled glass. Double strain the contents of the shaker into the chilled martini/coupe glass using a fine mesh strainer (to remove small ice chips and any grounds), yielding a smooth surface and a small layer of crema.

Garnish with three coffee beans placed on the center of the crema. Optionally, lightly dust a tiny pinch (about 1/8 tsp) of cocoa powder or finely ground espresso over the top for aroma and visual contrast.

Serve immediately while the espresso crema and aromatics are fresh.