The espresso martini is so “in” that it’s actually “out” again. The “New York Times” already hailed its return to the mainstream in 2021, and since last year at the latest, espresso has once again become inflationary in the mix – especially among hobby bartenders. The classic after-dinner drink is made quickly, looks sexy and works exactly as the muse once wanted for the drink – it goes straight to the head.
“Wake me up, and then fuck me up” with these words a young woman is said to have come to Dick Bradsell’s bar in the early 80s. Bradsell, who was one of the most renowned bartenders in London at the time, delivered. He mixed vodka, coffee liqueur, sugar with a shot of espresso, married caffeine and alcohol with it, and created the later supermodel the perfect pick-me-up with punch. At that time, the drink had nothing to do with cheese. Completely different today. 40 years after the birth of the espresso martini, Parmesan suddenly comes into play – and the beverage trend picks up speed.
Does that have to be parmesan in an espresso martini? For Jonathan David Stanyard, the combination is anything but strange. The bar consultant’s Instagram account at The Bitter Gringo Co. is credited with sparking the parmesan espresso martini trend on social media. He was inspired by the Latin American tradition of combining cheese and coffee or chocolate. The fact that Parmesan comes into play is explained by the umami properties of the cheese. These balance out the bitterness of the coffee. Umami is a full-bodied, savory taste that complements sweet, salty, sour, and bitter tastes.
He just didn’t know if he was being fooled or really what the idea was, writes beverage influencer Jordan Hughes on his Instagram page. “I regret to report that it tastes amazing,” Hughes said in the video testing the drink. Since then, other influencers have jumped on the Parmesan-Espresso-Martini bandwagon, and the drink is spreading like wildfire on the internet.
Not everyone is enthusiastic about it. One user commented on Hughes’ video: “This is a monstrosity that I will not accept.” Another suggests that the drink is less about the taste and more about the attention it draws. “The cocktail sounds a lot stranger than it actually is. The thin layer of finely grated parmesan adds a subtle salty element to the bitter coffee,” Hughes defends the creation at “Food
However, if you want to mix the Parmesan-Espresso-Martini, you should pay attention to one or two things. Hughes advises using 24 month aged Parmesan and then grating it with a micro grater. If the parmesan pieces are too big, they can no longer be “drinked”. And: “Don’t overdo it with the parmesan … your espresso martini is not a pasta plate.”
The basic recipe for a classic espresso martini can be found here.
