The Espresso Martini was invented in the 1980s at Fred's Club in London when a model asked for a cocktail that would "wake me up and f*ck me up" at the same time. Bartender Dick Bradsell knew just what to do, and combined vodka with espresso and coffee liqueur for a drink that was both potent and eye-opening. Our non-alcoholic Espresso Martini might not f*ck you up, but it'll certainly wake you up, and it's delicious to boot.
We've made quite a few non-alcoholic Espresso Martinis in pursuit of the perfect pour, and we think we've nailed it with this one. It deviates a bit from the classic recipe to compensate for the fact that non-alcoholic vodka isn't really a thing, instead incorporating non-alcoholic rum and The Pathfinder, a bittersweet amaro sub. Our alcohol-free Aromatic bitters and a little maple syrup help tie the whole thing together.
Combine all ingredients in a shaker and dry shake (without ice) for 20 seconds to create foam.
Add ice and shake again until chilled.
Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with 3 espresso beans.
Recipe Note
WHAT TYPE OF COFFEE TO USE? If you don't have access to an espresso machine (we sure don't), cold brew concentrate will work just as well, and it's a whole lot easier. Trader Joe's make a great, widely available version, and we really like the premium cold brew concentrate from Explorer. Avoid using regular coffee or cold brew, as it won't be as flavorful
WHERE TO BUY NON-ALCOHOLIC SPIRITS You can find all of the ingredients for this non-alcoholic Espresso Martini at The Zero Proof, or you can order direct from the producers. Any non-alcoholic dark rum and amaro will work here, but we particularly like Ritual Zero Proof Rum and Pathfinder Hemp & Root. And, of course, our Aromatic bitters.
MORE COFFEE MOCKTAILS If you prefer a bit of caffeine in your non-alcoholic cocktails, check out our Spiced Espresso and Tonic with Seedlip, or the Get Up Get Down with Three Spirit Nightcap.
MAKE IT MINDFULLY LOW ALCOHOL Want to wake up but just get a little bit f*cked up? Replace 1 oz of regular alcoholic rum, or use 1 oz of an alcoholic Amaro like Ramazzotti instead of Pathfinder. In either case, you'll end up with a cocktail that's low ABV but still has plenty of pep.
Leave a comment