Cocktails

Hit the spot with this decadent Guinness espresso martini

Up the ante on a traditional espresso martini with Guinness this St Patrick’s Day to create a stylish drink for both beer and cocktail enthusiasts.

Read Time 4 Minutes

By First Choice Liquor Market

Like coriander, licorice and Vegemite, Guinness is one of those drinks that can be quite divisive. It’s a hearty stout, one beer with enough body to have it dubbed a meal in itself. But even if you’re not typically a dark beer enthusiast, you can grow to love a Guinness, especially when it comes served as a part of a far more popular drink – the espresso martini. This merging of two traditional tipples may be an unexpected match but one that certainly works. The creamy, complex bittersweet dark chocolate notes of the dark beer pairs with the coffee pop of the espresso martini to create a drink with far more layers than the original.

How to make a Guinness martini

Ingredients (Serves 1)

Ice cubes, to serve
50mL Tito’s Handmade Vodka
10mL Mr Black Cold Brewed Coffee Liqueur
30mL espresso coffee, cooled
100mL Guinness Draught
Coffee beans (optional), to serve

Method

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add vodka, coffee liqueur and coffee and shake until well combined and chilled.
Add the Guinness and shake to combine. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with coffee beans, if using.

Tip Not drinking? To make a mocktail without vodka and liqueur, try shaking non-alcoholic stout with 40ml brewed espresso coffee and ice cubes.

A twist on the traditional espresso martini

The Guinness martini is a new take on the traditional espresso martini, with the welcome addition of a splash of dark beer, which introduces both depth and extra layered flavour to the cocktail. The original drink is a coffee-based cocktail that has been attributed to supermodel Kate Moss, who is said to have wandered into a bar in the 1980s, craving a tipple that would wake her up. The result is a drink rich in both espresso and coffee liqueur (not forgetting the vodka of course) that has been embraced by late-night drinking dens and their revellers around the world.

When it comes to choosing your ingredients, we like good-quality spirits, like the complex Aussie-based Mr Black Cold Brewed Coffee Liqueur, and the corn-crafted Texan tipple Tito’s Handmade Vodka.

So, what’s the go with Guinness?

Guinness itself is not typically associated with cocktails – though the Guinness martini proves it can be an admirable ally to many a drink. It’s an Irish dry stout, which emerged in 1759 – courtesy of brewer Arthur Guinness – in Dublin, where it continues to be created. Thanks to the dark beer’s popularity, and smooth, bittersweet flavour present, it soon became the small brewery’s key focus and today remains a drink synonymous with Ireland (as well as the festivities surrounding the annual St Patrick’s Day).

Now mix it up

After more drink ideas for St Patrick’s Day parties? Check out these Irish cream recipes or stock up on these Irish whiskey picks. For another cocktail idea using beer, try our whisky and ale recipe. Love coffee cocktails? Whip up a decadent White Russian cocktail or go for the tried and true espresso martini recipe, made with the simple combination of espresso, coffee liqueur, vodka, and a dash of sugar syrup.