The Inspiration
My wife and I like our coffee with cream and I usually make espresso martinis with a splash of baileys or nut milk, but Brian Wigginton came over to help craft a new one and had the idea of using coconut milk. So we tested out a few iterations until we landed on this one… though the color is not as ‘pretty’ as I would like. Our recommendation if you try this out, would be to drink it quickly when its at its peak because the coconut becomes too prominent as it warms, which we discovered during our blind tasting of eight different variations in the espresso martini toast-off.
Ingredients
1.5 ounce of vodka
1 ounce of chilled espresso (can be hot but this helps reduce dilution)
0.5 ounce of mr black coffee liqueur
0.25 ounce of vanilla de Madagascar
0.25 maple syrup
0.5 ounce coconut milk
1-2 dashes of chocolate mole bitters
Optional garnish: 3 espresso beans on top of the foam
How to Prepare
Add all ingredients into a shaker with two pieces of large ice if you have it (you can use regular crescent ice but I found larger ice helps create a better foam on top) and shake vigorously for 30 seconds
Double strain and pour into a martini or Nick and Nora glass
If using the garnish, place three beans on top (which is said to symbolize health, wealth, and happiness)
Cheers!