Ina Garten famously loves a good cosmopolitan, but there are plenty of other cocktail recipes to be found in her cookbooks.
The “Barefoot Contessa” star was even ahead of the curve when it came to espresso martinis, demonstrating how to make them on a 2007 episode of her Food Network show.
Now you’ll see espresso martinis on just about every bar menu, but they don’t come cheap (at least in LA or NYC). So when I stumbled on Garten’s recipe, I knew I had to take it for a spin.
Garten’s espresso martini recipe has only three ingredients.
All you need to whip up Garten’s drink is:
- 2 cups of freshly brewed espresso, chilled
- 2 cups of orange-flavored vodka
- 1 cup of coffee liqueur (Garten recommends Kahlúa)
These measurements make eight cocktails total. If you want to mix individual drinks, Garten recommends using 2 ounces of espresso, 2 ounces of orange vodka, and 1 ounce of coffee liqueur per person.
To get started, I brewed some espresso.
Garten notes in her recipe that the coffee for your espresso martini should be “freshly brewed.”
“I like to make it with decaf,” she explained during an episode of her “Barefoot Contessa” cooking show. “I don’t want to have jittery guests.”
Since I was making my cocktail as the afternoon slump was setting in, I decided to go with a caffeinated version instead. After brewing the espresso, I popped it into the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
After my espresso had chilled, I began building the cocktail.
When I first tried making the cocktail, I didn’t realize Garten throws all of her ingredients into a big pitcher first. The step isn’t noted in the Food Network recipe, so I assumed I was supposed to put everything straight into the shaker.
My shaker was already almost full when I added the vodka, a clear sign that I had messed up.
At first, I figured my cocktail shaker was just too small for the recipe. I tried to dump some ice cubes out to make room for the Kahlúa, but it didn’t make much of a difference.
As I poured the Kahlúa into the shaker, I knew something was definitely off. I had already halved the measurements to make four drinks instead of eight, but there still wasn’t enough room in the shaker.
I dumped a little more out before pouring in the rest of the Kahlúa and hoped for the best.
And when I poured the drinks, it was obvious that something had gone wrong.
My cocktails didn’t have the signature foamy top that you always see on an espresso martini. But maybe it would taste OK?
It did not.
The alcohol was overwhelming, and not in a fun way. To be honest, it might have been one of the worst drinks I’ve ever made. And I used to chase shots of vodka with water in college!
I realized the cocktail wasn’t able to mix or foam because there was almost no space left in the shaker. I had to go back to the drawing board.
I found the episode where Garten makes her espresso martini and realized I had missed a crucial step.
This is when I realized Garten puts all of her ingredients into a big pitcher and mixes them together. When it’s time to serve, she mixes each individual drink in the shaker.
Oh, duh.
In retrospect, it seems obvious, as that’s exactly what Garten did for her big batch of famous cosmos. But I thought I was following the recipe!
Anyway, we live and learn. Time for round two.
Second time was most definitely the charm. My cocktail came out looking like a classic espresso martini.
The top had a nice layer of foam, allowing the little coffee beans to pop. Once I added the orange peel twist, I couldn’t help but feel proud of myself. This drink looked legit.
The vodka taste wasn’t as overpowering as it had been in the first drink, but it was still strong. If you’re not a huge fan, I’d make the ratio of vodka equal to the Kahlúa.
What surprised me the most about Garten’s espresso martini was how strong it is. I’m no lightweight, but I was buzzed after a few sips!
If you’re looking for a drink that will wake you up rather than knock you off your feet, you might want to cut the alcohol down a bit.
But if you’re hoping for a big night out, Garten’s espresso martini will definitely kick things off.
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