May 13th is Cocktail Day. Reason enough to treat yourself to a real classic mixed drink: the Espresso Martini. The elegant stimulant has been celebrating its comeback for a few years now. But the drink not only tastes exceptionally good, it also has a special history.
Legend has it that at the end of the 80s, a then unknown but now world-famous model ordered a drink in London’s Fred’s Bar with the words: “Wake me up, and then fuck me up”. knock me out. Dick Bradsell (May 4, 1959 to February 27, 2016), bartender at the venue at the time and one of Britain’s most famous cocktail mixers, took the lady at her word and subsequently created the first Espresso Martini. In any case, the bartender himself tells the story in an interview.
But no one knows for sure whether it’s really true. Rumor has it that the later supermodel was Kate Moss or Naomi Campbell, as GQ writes – but this has not been confirmed. The fact that the two superstars are separated by four years speaks for Campbell and against Moss. In 1989, Moss would have been 15 years old – unlikely (but not impossible in 80s London) that Bradsell would have mixed her a cocktail. Throughout his life, the inventor of the Espresso Martini never revealed who it really was. True to the motto: What happens in my bar stays there.
As mysterious as the origin of the coffee cocktail may be, its success story is just as unique. In 2017, the Espresso Martini was the most ordered cocktail in Australia. The Aussies love the drink so much that they sell it in small cans in a practical pack of four. Fans of the pick-me-up shell out around eight Australian dollars at the supermarket chain Asda for the delicacy. In this country, those who are lazy about mixing have to go to Amazon in order to be able to buy a ready-made espresso martini.
Of course, a home-mixed espresso martini tastes better – and it has a lot to offer. Even the original ingredients tell a politically charged story: Bradsell uses Wyborowa vodka from Poland for his version. Why this vodka?
As the inventor explains, it was still frowned upon to use Russian vodka for mixing at the end of the 1980s because of the East-West conflict. It would have been more prestigious to rely on Polish ones. Bradsell chose Wyborowa because it was more balanced and pure than other spirits. In addition to the vodka, you also need espresso, Kaluha, sugar syrup, ice cubes, and the right tools for your espresso martini, i.e. a measuring cup, a cocktail shaker, the martini glasses and of course an espresso maker.
When choosing coffee, choose a classic Italian espresso, such as Omkaffee Diamante. Experienced espresso drinkers grind the beans fresh and boil them in the espresso maker if they don’t own a portafilter machine.
Kaluha is a well-known rum-based coffee liqueur that tastes sweet and powerful.
When choosing a sugar syrup, you should ideally choose a neutral variety such as Le Syrup de Monin.
The preparation is not rocket science: First, cool the martini glass with ice cubes. Then, according to the International Bartender Association, add ice cubes to the shaker and add 50 milliliters (ml) of vodka, 30 ml of Kaluha, 10 ml of syrup and one espresso for each Espresso Martini. Shake and separate the liquid from the ice by decanting. Remove the ice from the shaker and shake the cocktail again in the shaker without ice. Before the espresso martini finds its place in the martini glass, remove the ice cubes that cooled it. Place three coffee beans on the foam crown and the delicacy is ready.
The Espresso Martini is by no means a real Martini. But it lacks the dry Italian vermouth. It owes its name mainly to the triangular glass in which it is often served. By the way: With Kaluha and vodka you have almost all the ingredients for a White Russian. All you need is the milk on top and you can enjoy the cult drink from the Dude from the film “The Big Lebowski”.
Sources: theguardian.com, gq.co.uk, youtube.com, iba.com
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