ESPRESSO MARTINI MADE EASY (WITH COFFEE BAGS!)

Everyone loves an espresso martini – the drink was born here in the United Kingdom after all. London even hosts an annual espresso martini festival, where bars across the capital open their doors to cocktail-lovers from around the world. But did you know that you can make your own espresso martini at home? With our coffee bags? No professional equipment required!

Traditionally, espresso martinis are made with fresh espresso – but this requires a coffee machine which not many people have at home. Our coffee bags are the perfect replacement! Unlike instant coffee, they still pack all the flavour of fresh coffee and unlike using a cafetière, they are no fuss – and no mess! We would recommend using our Organic Medium Roast, as the almond and toffee notes pair exceptionally well with the sweetness of the coffee liqueur.  You can also play around with our different flavours to see what works for you. Try our Organic Decaf Blend if you wanted to avoid the caffeine kick!

Some people also like to add different sugar syrups to customise their espresso martinis – we recommend salted caramel sugar syrup or gingerbread for a festive take. These are the same sugar syrups used in cafés around the world when you order your Vanilla or Spiced Pumpkin Latte. They are designed for coffee! Also, espresso martinis are traditionally made with regular vodka, but we have seen them made with spiced rum or flavoured vodka for an extra level.

This recipe is very simple, but usually requires a cocktail shaker. If you don’t have one – no worries! We have the perfect solution for you. All you need instead is a travel mug (often called a Keep Cup) with a lid that screws on really tight. The function of a cocktail shaker, although they look really fancy, is to give you something to pour from without also pouring out all the bits that are contained inside. A travel mug traps the ice inside while letting the liquid pour out the drinking hole.

NEW KINGS ‘COFFEE BAG’ ESPRESSO MARTINI

Makes a single serving.

YOU WILL NEED:

• Cocktail Shaker (or your Travel Mug)

• Ice

• 40ml Vodka

• 20ml Coffee Liqueur (e.g. Kahlua)

• Boiling Water

• 1 Organic Medium Roast Coffee Bag (or any of our other coffee bags)

• Martini Glass

• Optional: 20ml Sugar Syrup

• Optional: Coffee beans or an extra coffee bag to use for the garnishing

TO MAKE:

Brew your coffee bag in a separate mug. Fill the mug with boiling water and add your coffee bag. We recommend allowing it to brew for 3 minutes, but you can adjust this based on how strong you like your coffee.

Measure out 20ml of your freshly brewed coffee. 20ml is one shot, so if you do not have any traditional measures you can use a shot glass. This applies to the alcoholic measures too.

Put a generous amount of ice in your cocktail shaker or travel mug. Add the vodka, coffee liqueur, coffee and sugar syrup (if you are using it). Seal very tightly.

Start shaking up and down in a firm motion. You will know to stop shaking when the outside of your container starts frosting over. You do not want to over-shake as this will cause your cocktail to be frothy (espresso martinis are silkier in texture).

If you are using a shaker, take off the lid and fit the strainer into place. If you are using a travel mug, leave the lid on but open the drinking hole. Pour the contents into your martini glass. The ice should remain in the container. This process is called straining. Some people will also use a sieve for this process (see image below).

Don’t worry if you do not have any traditional martini glasses. Mixologists may shake their heads, but at New Kings we are all about curiosity and creativity. We have made these martinis in glasses of all shapes and sizes. We recommend using a wine glass or a flat, tumbler-like glass instead (each will slightly alter the drinking experience).

At this point it is important to allow the drink to settle. You should see the classic espresso martini layer of silky foam form on the top as the liquid begins to separate.

It is now time to garnish! The classic look is to add three coffee beans in a loose circle on the top, but there are plenty of other ways you can play around with aesthetic. Split open a coffee bag and use the contents to decorate the top of your espresso martini. Hold your hand over half the top of the glass as you sprinkle the coffee to create a line effect. You can create the same effect using hot chocolate powder (this will also add a subtle chocolate taste). The garnishing should tell you something about what’s in the glass, so we would advise against using things like lemon peels (adding a cherry could be awesome if you are using our Organic Light Roast Coffee Bags due to their stone fruit and red cherry high notes).

You can now enjoy your espresso martini – made at home with no fuss.

WE WANT TO SEE YOUR CREATIONS. SEND US PICS OF YOUR ESPRESSO MARTINIS ON INSTAGRAM WITH THE HASHTAG: #NEWKINGSESPRESSOMARTINI. OUR FAVOURITE WILL WIN A BOX OF OUR MEDIUM ROAST COFFEE!