Espresso Martini with Baileys

An Espresso Martini with Baileys is the perfect cocktail for coffee lovers! It pairs espresso, Baileys and Kahlua with a crunchy coffee bean rim.

Here’s a sweet cocktail for coffee lovers: cool, creamy, and full flavored: meet the Espresso Martini with Baileys! This tasty drink pairs bitter coffee with vodka, Kahlua, and sweet, creamy Baileys Irish Cream. A crunchy coffee bean rim seals the deal. We’re addicted to our morning cup of joe: and the next best thing is drinking it in cocktails! Are you with us?

An Espresso Martini with Baileys

The Espresso Martini is a vodka martini mixed with espresso that was invented in 1983. The drink was invented by a bartender at the Soho Brasserie in London who created it for a patron who asked for a drink to wake her up. The coffee machine was right next to the drink station, and the Espresso Martini was born. The 1980’s cocktail flew relatively under the radar until it blew up in popularity in the US in 2021, and it’s been a bar staple ever since. 

A classic Espresso Martini has vodka, Kahlua and espresso. This spin adds in Baileys Irish cream to give an even creamier, sweeter body for the drink! It’s almost like a White Russian meets vodka martini. The ingredients for an Espresso Martini with Baileys are:

• Vodka
• Kahlua or coffee liqueur
• Baileys Irish cream
• Espresso, strong coffee, or cold brew concentrate

Prepping the glass: how to make a coffee bean rim

For this Espresso Martini with Baileys, we like to decorate the glass with a coffee bean rim. This gives a coffee scent to the beginning of each sip and adds a little crunchy texture, too. Here’s how to make a coffee bean rim:

• Grind the coffee beans very finely. You’ll only need a handful of beans.
• Place it in a flat layer on a plate with the same amount of sugar.
• Wet the glass rim. 
• Dip the outer edge of the rim into the glass, gently turning the rim. All you need is the outside of the glass to be covered, not the inside.

How to make an Espresso Martini with Baileys

There’s not much to an Espresso Martini with Baileys! Once the glass is rimmed, simply make your espresso and shake up the drink in a cocktail shaker. How to get foam on an Espresso Martini? Shake for at least 15 seconds, Here are a few notes on the method:

• Make the espresso. Make a shot of espresso using an espresso machine, French press, or an Aeropress.
• Shake in a cocktail shaker. Place the Baileys, Kahlua, vodka and espresso in a cocktail shaker, add ice, and shake.
• Strain into a glass and garnish. Strain into the prepared martini glass or stemmed cocktail glass.

That’s it! It comes out creamy and nuanced, with vanilla and chocolate notes from the Baileys highlighting the bitter notes from the coffee.

Other glass garnish ideas

You can garnish an Espresso Martini with Baileys in many ways! If you prefer not to use a coffee rim, the classic garnish is three coffee beans. Here are a few ideas for dressing up this cocktail:

• Top with three coffee beans floating on the foam
• Dip the cocktail glass rim in a plate of chocolate sauce (similar to a Mudslide)
• Dust the top of the drink with a hint of cocoa powder to mirror the cocoa notes in the Baileys

More about Baileys Irish cream

Are you a Baileys Irish Cream lover? This tasty liqueur is actually the most popular liqueur sold worldwide.

• Baileys Irish Cream is a liqueur made with Irish whiskey, cream, and cocoa that’s manufactured in Ireland. It’s low alcohol: the ABV is 17% (compared to 40% in spirits like gin, whiskey, and vodka).
• How much does Baileys cost? Baileys is mid-priced: it costs about $20 to $25 for a large 750 ml bottle.
• What other cocktails can you make with it? So many! There are lots of popular Baileys drinks: try the Mudslide, Chocolate Martini and Baileys White Russian.

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