Zero-Proof · Zero-proof
Zero-Proof Espresso Martini
Fresh espresso, shaken to a crema, zero compromise on drama.
How to order it: Cold espresso, non-alc coffee liqueur or syrup, shake violently.
Flavor profile
The recipe
- 1 shot fresh espresso, chilled
- 1 oz non-alc coffee liqueur or syrup
- ¼ oz vanilla syrup
- Shake violently for the crema
- Coupe; three beans
The story
The espresso martini is credited to Dick Bradsell, the influential London bartender who, as the oft-told story goes, built it in the 1980s for a model who asked for something to wake her up and then some. The zero-proof version keeps only half that brief — and loses surprisingly little, because the drink's drama was always the coffee: fresh espresso shaken hard over ice until it pours with a crema and takes three beans on top. The vodka was the quietest thing in the glass. As bartenders rebuilt the classics for the sober-curious era, this one barely needed renovating. It remains exactly what it always was — a dessert, a dare, and a double shot of theatre.
Classic variation
The Zero-Proof Espresso Martini is a riff on a classic. Meet the original:
Adjacent pours