- Cocktails
Best New Year’s Eve Espresso Martini Recipes
Shake up a storm and dodge the city crowds this New Year’s Eve with an at-home DIY espresso martini mini bar created by Jarrod aka @diycocktailguy.
DIY New Year’s Eve Espresso Martini Mini-Bar
The espresso martini: an Australian crowd favourite
In a country full of coffee lovers, it’s no wonder why the espresso martini has captured hearts across Australia. From swanky, inner-city establishments to dive bars, pubs and pre-mixed cans, you’ll find the rich and creamy cocktail on every corner.
While we can’t claim it as our own — its origins go all the way back to London in the 1980s — Australia’s love affair with espresso martinis isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Unlike other cocktails that can take on a love-it-or-hate-it herbaceous bitter taste (negronis, we’re looking at you) the espresso martini appeals to everyone and it’s easy to make — which is why it’s the perfect pick for your DIY mini bar this New Year’s Eve.
Instead of getting caught stirring and shaking individual cocktails for everyone who walks through the front door, a DIY martini mini bar shifts the bartending duties over to your guests and because “Your New Year’s Eve is probably going to be a bit of a late one, you want your friends to be perked up with espresso martinis at least until midnight,” Jarrod adds. Whether you like yours strong on the coffee or slightly sweeter, Jarrod has got you covered with 3 different espresso martini recipes that are as delicious as they are easy to DIY.
Everything you need to stock up your DIY espresso martini mini bar
Salted Caramel Espresso Martini
Go to the sweet side with a rich and buttery espresso martini — what’s not to love?
Cocktail Ingredients:
30mL or 1oz BLCK Vodka
30mL or 1oz Kahlua Coffee Liqueur
30mL or 1oz espresso
1 tablespoon of salted caramel sauce
Pinch of salt
White Chocolate Espresso Martini
Distilled from white rice, Haku — meaning white in Japanese — is a twice-distilled craft vodka from the House of Suntory, and it’s a delicious choice for your white chocolate espresso martini.
Cocktail Ingredients:
30mL or 1oz Haku Vodka
30mL or 1oz white chocolate sauce
30mL or 1oz espresso
White chocolate ganache
To garnish: strawberries
Classic Espresso Martini
Every martini bar needs a classic option — and this espresso martini fits the bill.
Cocktail Ingredients:
30mL or 1oz Vodka O
30mL or 1oz Kahlua Coffee Liqueur
30mL or 1oz espresso
How to make your espresso martinis
- For each of the espresso martinis, tell your guests to combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Shake the martini and strain into a glass (keep scrolling for more on the best pouring technique)
- Garnish with strawberries or coffee beans on top.
- Repeat until the clock strikes midnight!
Putting the espresso in espresso martinis: how to prepare the coffee
Along with the coffee liqueur, getting the coffee shot right is crucial to staying true to an authentic espresso martini. The key? Use espresso from a proper coffee machine. French press or instant coffee won’t give you the same taste or level of foam that you’re used to when sipping on espresso martinis in a bar as the rich layer of froth is all down to the crema from a machine poured espresso.
With this in mind, fire up your home espresso machine or head down to your local coffee shop and get them to fill up a bottle of freshly poured espresso shots. Do this with plenty of time to spare to ensure that the espresso cools down completely before it’s mixed with ice.
How to get the perfect level of froth on your espresso martinis: tips and tricks
Just like a pint of Guinness, it’s all about creating the perfect level of foam when it comes to your espresso martini. Too frothy — and your espresso martini mix won’t go a long way. Too little froth — and you’ll be robbing your guests of an authentic coffee experience.
Tip #1. As we’ve already touched on, use espresso from a proper coffee machine and give it plenty of time to cool down.
Tip #2. Shake, shake, shake! This helps to trap small air bubbles in the mixture which then emulsify with the oils in the coffee to generate the creamy foam that we all know and love. But remember, if you don’t use the right type of coffee, no amount of shaking will save your espresso martini, so choose wisely!
Tip #3. Pour quickly into your glasses and from above. This moves the foam straight to the top of a glass and creates the thick pillowy cloud of froth.
The essentials for a DIY espresso martini bar: when and where to serve
- First off, create plenty of bench space. You’ll want your DIY mini bar to be tucked away from a high foot traffic area in your home, but still visible so that guests still feel part of the party as they’re mixing up a storm.
- Next, you’ll need to have all the right cocktail making tools. As staples of any bar set-up, you’ll probably have a shaker, strainer and jigger (aka shot glass) lying around. But we recommend stocking up on a few extra Bar Master Cocktail Sets to ensure that you have enough shakers for each cocktail. This will prevent long waits and mixing tools.
- The key to any DIY mini bar is, of course, ice. Keep an ice bucket and tongs on hand at the mini bar, and stock up as needed.
- Serve from the get-go and prompt guests to shake an espresso martini on arrival to get the party started.
Stick to Jarrod’s step-by-step guide for the perfect DIY espresso martini mini-bar and you’ll be a pro in no time at all. And if you’re feeling extra adventurous as we approach the new year, add our Decadent Guinness Espresso Martini to your DIY bar line-up and thank us later!
How to make your espresso martinis
- For each of the espresso martinis, tell your guests to combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Shake the martini and strain into a glass (keep scrolling for more on the best pouring technique)
- Garnish with strawberries or coffee beans on top.
- Repeat until the clock strikes midnight!
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