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.

Creamy raspberry ice cream cocktail served in a vintage stemmed glass with frothy foam and fresh raspberry garnish, surrounded by scattered raspberries on a wooden table with soft pastel green lighting, perfect for dessert cocktail recipes, girls’ nights and cocktail making classes.

Signature cocktail

Raspberry Ice Cream

This one tastes like lemon raspberry ice cream yum! definitely get your topless waiter to make you this delicious cocktail. Raspberry lovers this cocktail is a must try, a well balanced sweet and tart cocktail and looks great too. A perfect cocktail for any hens party.

  • 120ml gin brewed for 10 minutes with a raspberry tea
  • 1 raspberry tea bag/portion
  • 20ml lemon juice
  • 20ml raspberry syrup
  • 1 egg white
  • ice
Raspberry Ice Cream
Bright blue lagoon cocktail with orange and cherry garnish, perfect for a tropical hens party cocktail making class.

Signature cocktail

Blue Lagoon

Everything you need to know about the Blue Lagoon is right in the name. Tall, refreshing and bluer than the bluest Caribbean sky, the cocktail turns vodka, blue curaçao and lemonade into a drink you’ll want to dive into.

  • 30ml vodka
  • 30ml blue curaçao
  • 120ml ounces lemonade
  • Garnish: lemon wheel
  • Garnish: maraschino cherry
Blue Lagoon
Creamy chocolate grasshopper cocktail with chocolate dust and fresh mint, perfect for a hens party cocktail making class.

Signature cocktail

Chocolate Grasshopper

Chocolate Mint Lovers Unite! This boozy Grasshopper Cocktail is a vintage after dinner ice cream drink that never goes out of style. Have you LuckyLadds topless waiter make this classic for you.

  • ice
  • 25ml crème de menthe
  • 25ml white crème de cacao
  • 25ml single cream To garnish
  • mint sprig
  • 25g melted chocolate (optional)
Chocolate Grasshopper

Let's Go

Ready to lock in the best celebration with your friends and family?

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

No credit card required

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!

Topless headshot of Joel, he is wearing a black bowtie and has a large tattoo on one side of his body that stretches from his chest over his shoulder and down his bicep. He is handsome with dark hair and tanned lean body.
Joel
Nando posing with his hands on his hips smiling. He has large chest muscles and arms.
Nando
Posing holding his belt hands on his belt whilst shirtless and smiling.
Reece
Shirtless mixologist Jake standing shirtless with hands on his hips, he has no fat a very lean body and long brown hair.
Jake
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.

She is striking a pose with hands pointed out to the side, she has a tall bright red wig on and black leather bra and short dress.
Salzza Dipp
Fierce and beautiful drag queen Tara Zaan wearing a neon blue and black latex full body suit. His matching blue and black eye and lip makeup and horns.
Tara Zann
Young drag queen with long brown hair wearing a short cut pink jumper with the arms cut out and revealing her abs. With a matching pink shirt with black small polka dots.
lola blades
Drag queen Delivira wearing a gothic like dress with bright red hair.
Delvira Midnight

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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