Signature cocktail

Espresso Martini

Espresso Martini is what you make for after dinner drinks, or when you need a pick-me-up but don’t want to fall behind the pack on a night out with your mates! Dangerously drinkable with a good slog of liquor, this coffee cocktail is crowd favourite just like your LuckyLadds topless waiter will be.

Ingredients

  • 40ml / 1 1/3oz Vodka
  • 20ml (2/3 oz) Kahlua
  • 20ml (2/3 oz) espresso coffee , cooled
  • 3 coffee beans , garnish
Espresso martini with creamy foam and coffee bean garnish, perfect for a hens party cocktail making class.
A hens party scene featuring a group of women gathered together indoors enjoying espresso martinis in coupe glasses.

The Perfect Espresso Martini Recipe

The Espresso Martini is smooth, bold, creamy, and honestly one of the most dangerously easy cocktails to drink on a night out. With vodka, Kahlua, and fresh espresso shaken over ice, it’s the perfect mix of strong coffee flavour and cocktail kick. Whether it’s after dinner drinks, girls night cocktails, or the point of the night where everyone suddenly needs a second wind, this one always disappears fast.

What You’ll Need ☕

  • 40ml vodka
  • 20ml Kahlua
  • 20ml fresh espresso coffee, cooled
  • Ice (the ice will help with frothing, so be generous)

Optional Garnish

  • 3 coffee beans
  • Cocoa powder dusting
  • Chocolate shavings

A studio cocktail styling scene featuring an espresso martini served in a coupe glass with creamy foam and coffee bean garnish. The setup also includes all the ingredients used.

How To Make An Espresso Martini

This cocktail is all about the shake. The harder you shake it, the creamier and smoother the espresso foam becomes on top.

  1. Chill Your Glass: Place your martini or coupe glass in the freezer while preparing the cocktail.
  2. Add Ingredients To A Shaker: Add vodka, Kahlua, cooled espresso coffee, and plenty of ice into a cocktail shaker.
  3. Shake Hard: Shake aggressively for around 15 seconds until the shaker feels icy cold. This creates the creamy foam layer.
  4. Strain Into Glass: Double strain into your chilled glass for a smooth finish.
  5. Garnish & Serve: Float three coffee beans on top and serve immediately.

A close-up cocktail preparation scene showing an espresso martini being strained from a cocktail shaker into a coupe glass with creamy foam forming on top.

Why Everyone Loves Espresso Martinis

It’s basically the cocktail version of saying “we’re definitely not going home yet.” Rich coffee flavour, smooth sweetness, and just enough kick to wake everyone back up after dinner or halfway through a big night out. One Espresso Martini somehow always turns into another, especially once everyone sees them coming out topped with that thick creamy foam and coffee bean garnish.

Three espresso martinis served in coupe glasses with thick creamy foam and classic coffee bean garnish.

Delicious Espresso Martini Variations

Salted Caramel Espresso Martini

Add salted caramel syrup for a sweeter dessert-style version.

Chocolate Espresso Martini

Add chocolate liqueur or chocolate bitters for a mocha-style cocktail.

Vanilla Espresso Martini

A splash of vanilla syrup softens the coffee flavour beautifully.

Baileys Espresso Martini

Add Baileys for a creamier and smoother version.

Frozen Espresso Martini

Blend with ice for a frozen cocktail version perfect for summer nights.

Five espresso martini variations displayed in coupe glasses on a wooden tabletop with warm purple cocktail bar lighting. The drinks include salted caramel, chocolate, vanilla, classic espresso martini, and frozen espresso martini.

Shake up your menu

More cocktails to try

Want variety at the bar? Mix in one of these LuckyLadds-approved cocktails to keep every round exciting.

Pink cherry blossom martini served in a crystal martini glass with delicate dried rose petal garnish on a rustic wooden table scattered with pink flower petals against a marble background, styled for elegant cocktail recipe blogs, bridal celebrations and cocktail masterclass inspiration.

Signature cocktail

Cherry Blossom Martini

This Cherry Blossom Cocktail is a beautiful drink to enjoy any time of the year, but I think it definitely evokes a feeling of springtime when cherry blossoms typically bloom. Plus, the cocktail’s floral and fruity flavours make it an ideal choice for special occasions such as Mother’s Day, bridal showers, hens parties and even weddings. And its pretty pink tones definitely make it instagram worthy.

  • blend
  • 1 ½ cups strawberries
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • splash of water
  • shake with
  • 60 ml cherry blossom gin
  • 30 ml fresh lemon juice
  • 1 egg white
  • 4-5 ice cubes
  • Edible rose petals for garnish
Cherry Blossom Martini
Sparkling blackberry thyme fizz cocktail served over ice in a tall highball glass with fresh blackberries and thyme sprigs, styled on a wooden table with soft green lighting and visible bubbles throughout the drink for cocktail recipe blogs, garden party drinks and cocktail making class inspiration.

Signature cocktail

Blackberry thyme fizz

Looking for perfect sweet Gin cocktail on a warm summers day look no further, Blackberry thyme fizz cocktail is refreshing, sweet and looks amazing! adjust sweetness with jam levels and substitute blackberry jam with your favourite jam to make it unique to you. Your topless waiter will love making this simple but show stopping cocktail for you and your guests.

  • 60ml Blackberry Jam
  • 1 tsp Fresh Thyme Leaves
  • 45ml-60ml Ink Gin
  • 10ml lime juice
  • Garnish: Blackberries, Lime piece & Fresh Thyme
Blackberry thyme fizz
Bright green Midori Illusion cocktail with pineapple garnish, perfect for a tropical hens party cocktail making class.

Signature cocktail

Midori Illusion

The Midori Illusion is always a popular request. A deliciously, sweet mix with melon and pineapple flavours, what’s not to love about this one especially when made by your deliciously sweet topless waiter from luckyladds. The Midori Illusion is great as a shot or in a tall glass. Just as sweet and delicious as your male topless waiter.

  • 45 mL Midori
  • 15 mL Vodka
  • 15 mL Cointreau or Triple Sec
  • 45 mL Pineapple Juice
  • 15 mL Lemon Juice
Midori Illusion

Let's Go

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Send through your date, location, and group size and we’ll confirm availability. Once you lock in your date, you’re all set.

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Party Hosts

Games and Activities Hosts for a Perfect Party

Equal parts host, flirt and chaos coordinator. Hand-selected, professionally trained, talented and skilled, ready to run fun activities at your best party ever. A LuckyLadd host is an absolute must!

Muscular tanned and tattooed man standing shirtless and pointing at his six pack. He has brown hair and is wearing black dress pants and a black belt.
Dirk Diggler
Waiter Joshua flexing shirtless with studio lighting and blue light framing on him.
Joshua
Carlos standing shirtless with his arms crossed smiling at the camera, he has a large frame muscular frame and is wearing his LuckyLadds belt and black dress pants.
Carlos
Handsome Turkish waiter smiling and posing shirtless with a black shirt over his shoulders and wearing his luckyladds belt and black dress paints
Baris
Featured Queens

Drag Queens for Outrageous Fun

Bold entrances, cutting banter, and unhinged party hosting, our drag entertainers know how to turn your hens party ideas into a full-blown event. Expect personality, polish, and pazaz.

Our Brisbane based drag queen Miss Veeta posing in a red, black and yellow zebra print dress with a blonde wig.
Veeta
Cookie Cartel wearing a circus themed red and yellow outfit. The outfit features large red silk shoulder pads then long sleeves in red with yellow x pattern. It has lots of yellow ropes hanging down and tappers at the waist. You can see the start on gold knee high boots.
Cookie Cartel
Posing in a black leotard and rainbow sequinned  jacket. The drag queen has a dark blonde wig on and sultry facial expression.
BarbieQ
Drag queen Bustypriest in a sparkly sequinned dress with full arm length white gloves on and both hands under chin giving a whimsical pose. She has a  big smile and very light blonde wig on.
bustypriest

Got a question about our cocktails?

Our cocktails are fun! And we bet you have heaps of questions. Here are the most common questions hens organisers have asked us. Your question not answered here? Reach out to us!

Why does an Espresso Martini get foam on top?

The foam comes from freshly brewed espresso being shaken hard with ice. The coffee oils and air create that signature creamy top layer.

Why are there three coffee beans on top?

Traditionally the three beans represent health, wealth, and happiness.

What coffee works best for Espresso Martinis?

Fresh espresso gives the strongest flavour and best crema for foam.

Should espresso be hot or cold before shaking?

Slightly cooled is best. Hot espresso melts the ice too quickly.

Can I make a sweeter Espresso Martini?

Yes, add vanilla syrup, caramel syrup, or extra coffee liqueur.

Why is my Espresso Martini watery?

Usually from not enough ice or shaking for too long after the ice has melted.

Can I use cold brew coffee?

Yes. Cold brew creates a smoother less bitter cocktail.

Can I make a dairy-free creamy Espresso Martini?

Yes, oat milk or coconut cream work really well in creamy variations.

What garnish works besides coffee beans?

Chocolate shavings, cocoa powder, caramel drizzle, or even crushed biscuits work well.

Inspiration

Cheers to Espresso Martini

Stories, planning tips, and cocktail inspo to keep the celebrations flowing.

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