You want to feel extra fancy without spending a million dollars at a restaurant on one cocktail? You need to make my espresso martini with Baileys. With just a few key ingredients like fresh espresso and coffee liqueur, you're minutes away from a show-stopping, steakhouse aperitif without the price tag.
Along with my pumpkin spice espresso martini, my chocolate peppermint (aka peppermint mocha espresso martini), this classic espresso martini recipe is top notch. I love a good coffee drink any time of day, so a coffee cocktail with vodka is great wind down beverage post-dinner.
TL; DR Summary - Espresso Martini with Bailey's
- 👩🏼🍳 Prep Level: Easy/Beginner
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 📖 Dietary info: Caffeine, cream/dairy
- 😋 Taste: It's giving fancy coffee drink with a hint of creaminess.
- 💖 Why You'll Love: It's a perfect blend of coffee, cream, and vodka that says "I'm fancy but also fun loving and outgoing).
- 🍽️ Pairs Well With: This espresso martini is great to sip on right after a nice family dinner of creamy 30 minute tuscan chicken, easy baked classic stuffed shells, or a simple sheet pan lemon garlic baked salmon.
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Jump to:
- TL; DR Summary - Espresso Martini with Bailey's
- Tips, Tricks, and Key Reminders:
- The Main Ingredients
- Simple Swaps and Substitutions
- How to make a classic espresso martini
- Mistakes I've Made (to avoid)
- Bailey's Espresso Martini FAQs
- Looking for other festive and fun cocktails? Try these:
- Homemade Espresso Martini with Baileys Recipe
Tips, Tricks, and Key Reminders:
- Fresh espresso does taste better, and adds a gorgeous crema (the signature foam from the brewed espresso) to the top of the glass/cocktail. Crema is important as it hints to the freshness of the espresso beans.
- Add ice to a coupe or martini glass to keep it chilled prior to pouring the drink into the glass.
- Use the jigger to measure the vodka, coffee liqueur, irish cream, and the espresso or coffee. Cocktails are all about having a balance in flavor. Sometimes eyeballing drinks are either way too strong or too weak.
The Main Ingredients
- Espresso: As mentioned, fresh espresso is preferred, but you could use cold brew coffee or concentrate or your cold morning coffee.
- Vodka: I love using VanGogh Double Espresso Vodka in this espresso martini for the strong coffee notes, but you could also use Ketel One, Grey Goose Vodka, or Tito's. I've personally tested with Tito's and Ketel One and they're both fantastic.
- Coffee Liqueur: Kahlua is a staple in a classic espresso martini recipe, so that's what I use too. I've also used Frangelico, which is a hazelnut liqueur, but it just doesn't taste the same.
- Bailey's Irish Cream: The jury is out on whether this is the best way to do it, but I prefer it. It gives such a subtle creaminess to the drink, and if you don't like it, you don't need to add it!
Be sure to check out the recipe card at the end of this post for more information about quantities, measurements, and specific cooking instructions.
Simple Swaps and Substitutions
- Simply swap the espresso for cold brew concentrate, or even cold coffee if you don't have an espresso machine. It's not entirely necessary, BUT it does tend to have a slight difference in taste.
- If you'd prefer not to add the Baileys, you don't have to. Skip it entirely.
- Not into kahlua? Don't use it! You could also opt to use frangelico or another type of coffee liqueur.
How to make a classic espresso martini
Step 1: Before making the drink, add ice to a martini or coupe glass to chill.
In a cocktail shaker, add ice and pour in the vodka, coffee liqueur, the shot of espresso, and bailey's cream if desired.
Step 2: Close the top of the shaker, and shake vigorously to form the crema and blend the ingredients together. Pour into the martini glass and top with three espresso beans or coffee beans. Serve with a light dusting of espresso powder for flair.
Mistakes I've Made (to avoid)
- Don't eyeball the measurements, be sure to use a jigger to pour the accurate amount of each liquids. It will either be way too strong in terms of vodka, or the coffee liqueur and all cocktails needs to be balanced.
- Don't forget to chill the martini glass AND the espresso. The warm espresso will melt the ice and dilute once shaken.
Bailey's Espresso Martini FAQs
You can make a larger batch of this cocktail ahead of time. Make the drink and let chill in the fridge until you want to serve it.
A fun way to serve this too would be to add this drink to a blender with ice and make it into a frozen espresso martini.
Simply use your coffee machine or cold brew concentrate to add to the shaker. Fresh espresso does work best, but no need to stress about it if you don't have it. I've used fresh coffee, cold coffee, cold brew concentrate, and hot espresso in this recipe and they all work well.
Looking for other festive and fun cocktails? Try these:
Did you love this recipe? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you're just as in love with this recipe as I am, please share a comment below and rate it! Better yet, share this recipe with family and friends!! Thank you!
Homemade Espresso Martini with Baileys Recipe
Equipment
- 1 shaker
- 1 jigger
- cocktail spoon
- 1 sieve or mesh strainer
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz vodka
- 2 oz cold espresso
- 1 oz kahlua or coffee liquor
- ½ oz bailey's irish cream optional
- 3 espresso beans garnish
Instructions
- In a shaker, add ice then pour in the vodka, cold espresso or cold brew, coffee liquor and baileys.
- Shake until the mixture becomes frothy.
- Pour into a martini glass and top with three espresso beans.
Liz says
delicious!!
Morgan Peaceman says
Thank you for sharing!! Cheers 🙂
Fiona says
Absolutely love it! I am a huge fan of espresso martini and this is the first one I've ever made at home so I wasn't expecting much because whenever you try to recreate something at home it's never as good... but this is incredible! Thank you so much for sharing such a great recipe. P.S. I used Absolut vanilla vodka and it's really nice!
Morgan Peaceman says
Yay this makes me so so happy!!! I LOVE the vanilla vodka idea, I'm definitely using that this weekend 🙂
Tania says
Absolutely THE BEST recipe for an espresso martini!
Morgan Peaceman says
Awww thank you so much this made my DAY!!!!
Melissa says
We have tried several recipes and this one is the best hands down. We even brought an espresso machine to make it more authentic. We also have done an Irish version substituting Irish whiskey for the vodka. Both are fantastic!
Morgan Peaceman says
Aww thank you! This made my day, glad you loved it! I need to try with Irish whiskey next!
Emily W. says
This recipe is no joke the best espresso martini I've made from an internet recipe. I got a small bottle of the espresso vodka you mentioned from a bachelorette party so I figured let's use it, and it was exactly what you said: perfect for this!. I loved it, and my friends did too!
Isabelle says
No joke this recipe was sitting in my saved Pinterest pins for a long time and i finally was able to make it last night, it was unreal. I had to go buy Kahlua but it was so worth it. I will be making this all the time now!!
carolyn says
Truly a magnificent recipe. As you mentioned in the recipe, I used cold brew coffee because that's all I had (I don't have any espresso in my apartment), but it came out really good anyway.
Andrea P. says
I just got a new espresso machine for my birthday and immediately made your recipe. It was so perfect. I love how balanced it was, and your right the cream on top from the espresso was great. Well done!
Lauren says
I dont make drinks ever, but I had to make this for friends for new years and it was unreal. Very balanced and not super strong. I made a lot of them!!!
Lindsey says
This is seriously the easiest espresso martini on google. It was delicious and I love that i could use cold brew if I don’t have espresso. Perfection!
Meredith says
This espresso martini is my go to! I love making it for my friends when they come over. Great and easy recipe!!!
Whittney says
I will never EVER make another recipe for this again. This was delish. Strong, which was exactly how I wanted it. I made a few for my family tonight and they were just fantastic.
Carleigh P. says
I will be making this over and over again. I made a large batch for friends today for St. Patty's and they were a hit. Very easy to make, and I liked the idea of using a cold brew instead of espresso cause i don't have any. Great recipe, cheers!!!
Desiree says
I absolutely love making this espresso martini! It’s my go to recipe. The measurements are perfect!