What is an Espresso Martini?

It is a cocktail of vodka, espresso, coffee liqueur and sugar, shaken with ice so that a thick coffee foam forms. It was invented by the London bartender Dick Bradsell in the late eighties. Despite the name it contains no vermouth, and all it shares with a classic martini is the glass.

What does an Espresso Martini taste like?

Like strong, chilled coffee with dessert sweetness and a dry finish. Made well it is creamy thanks to the foam, but never bland. The level of sweetness depends on the ratio of coffee liqueur to vodka.

Does an Espresso Martini give you energy?

Yes, the shot of coffee in the drink works like an ordinary espresso, which is why it is often ordered in the middle of the night as a second wind. Just remember that alcohol and caffeine pull in opposite directions and it is easy to lose count. One after dinner or one around midnight is a sensible measure.

Which vodka makes the best Espresso Martini?

A clean, neutral, premium one, for example Grey Goose, because its job is to carry the coffee flavour rather than drown it. In Cocktail Room we use Grey Goose with vanilla, which additionally rounds off the taste. Flavoured vodkas other than vanilla usually ruin the balance.

Espresso or cold brew for an Espresso Martini?

Both schools are correct: espresso gives intensity and the classic profile, cold brew gives smoothness and lower acidity. In Cocktail Room we serve the cold brew version, and in Aperitif Bar the one on fresh espresso. It is worth trying both and choosing your own.

Where can you drink a good Espresso Martini in Zakopane?

In Cocktail Room at Le Scandale, ul. Zaruskiego 5, open on Thursdays and Sundays from 21:00 and on Fridays and Saturdays from 21:30. Earlier in the day the espresso version is served by Aperitif Bar at the same address, open daily from 9:00. Both are 300 metres from Krupówki.

Can an Espresso Martini be made without alcohol?

Yes, it is enough to replace the vodka and the liqueur with an alcohol-free base, and the foam comes from shaking the coffee with ice. Our zero per cent menu has several drinks, including Free Star Martini with passion fruit and vanilla for those who want a cocktail glass without the alcohol. The bartenders will suggest a substitute on the spot.

How much does an Espresso Martini cost in Zakopane?

Premium cocktail prices in Zakopane start at around 40 PLN, and the drinks with a listed price on our menu cost 34-45 PLN. The full Cocktail Room price list is available at the bar. The price always follows the quality of the spirit and the coffee, not the name of the drink.

Espresso Martini: why it came back and how it is made properly

Where Espresso Martini came from

The legend says that in the late eighties the London bartender Dick Bradsell was asked by a certain model for a drink that would wake her up and loosen her up at the same time. He combined vodka, fresh espresso, coffee liqueur and a touch of sugar, and shaking it all in a shaker produced a thick, creamy foam. That is how a cocktail was born which, after years of silence, returned to the top of order lists and shows no sign of leaving them.

Its popularity has a simple explanation: it is a dessert drink and a dry drink at once, working like coffee after dinner and like a cocktail at the start of the night.

What a good Espresso Martini is made of

The classic recipe has four elements and none of them is optional:

vodka, ideally clean and neutral, because it is there to carry the coffee flavour, not to compete with it
coffee, classically fresh espresso, increasingly often cold brew, which gives a smoother, less acidic profile
coffee liqueur, which adds sweetness and depth
a shake with ice, hard and short, because that is what creates the signature foam

Three coffee beans on the foam are the traditional garnish, symbolising health, wealth and happiness.

How to spot a badly made one

No foam. If the drink looks like cold coffee in a glass, it was stirred instead of shaken, or it stood for too long.

Too sweet. An excess of liqueur or syrup turns the cocktail into a dessert. A good Espresso Martini finishes dry.

Coffee from a filter machine. Watery coffee makes a watery drink. The base has to be espresso or a proper cold brew.

Lukewarm. This is a cocktail that has to be ice cold. Warm, it loses the whole point.

How we make it in Cocktail Room

On our menu Espresso Martini is built on Grey Goose with vanilla, cold brew and coffee liqueur. Cold brew instead of classic espresso is a deliberate choice: cold brewed coffee is smoother and less acidic, which makes the drink go down dangerously easily. The vanilla ties the coffee and the vodka into a dessert-like but still dry whole.

The version from the lobby bar, that is from Aperitif Bar, is made on espresso, the classic way. Two spaces, two schools of the same drink, both at one address at Zaruskiego 5.

For hunters of coffee flavours the menu has two more drinks: Cherry & Caffe on Tequila 1800 Reposado with Patrón XO Cafe and cherry soda, and Tequila Cafe Tonic, coffee liqueur with tonic and lime, a lighter and more refreshing alternative.

When to order it

Espresso Martini works best at two moments of the evening: instead of coffee after dinner, when the night is only beginning, and around midnight, when energy drops and there are still hours left before the dance floor closes. In Zakopane, where Music Loft plays until 5:00 in the morning, that second use is unusually practical.

Practical details

Cocktail Room: Thu and Sun 21:00-2:00, Fri and Sat 21:30-4:00, ul. Zaruskiego 5
Espresso Martini on the menu: Grey Goose, cold brew, vanilla, coffee liqueur
The espresso version is available in Aperitif Bar, open daily from 9:00
Bookings: +48 530 331 531