Espresso martini garnish: beans, foam and the pick that finishes it
The espresso martini is the most photographed cocktail of the last few years, and the garnish is why. That layer of foam is a blank canvas. Here's how to get the foam right, what to put on it, and the few variations worth knowing when you're making them for a crowd.
First, the foam
The garnish only works if the foam does. Use freshly pulled espresso (or strong cold brew concentrate in a pinch), shake hard with plenty of ice for a full fifteen seconds, and double-strain into a chilled coupe. The crema in fresh espresso is what makes the foam; espresso that's been sitting around won't do it. If your foam keeps coming out thin, add a splash of the coffee liqueur last and shake again, or do a quick dry shake without ice first.
Three coffee beans
The traditional garnish is three whole coffee beans floated on the foam in a little cluster. Three, not two or four. The old bar story is that they stand for health, wealth and happiness, and whether or not you believe that, an odd number looks better. Drop them gently onto the center of the foam so they sit rather than sink.
Something guests can hold
Coffee beans look great but they're not much use to the person drinking. For a party, lay an espresso martini pick across the rim of the coupe. The little espresso-martini-glass topper tells everyone what's in the glass, it doesn't sink into the foam, and it gives the drink a finished look in photos. We use these for "tini bit older" birthdays and bachelorette weekends where the espresso martini is the signature drink, and the dirty martini picks next to them for the other half of the guest list.
Dusting and drizzles
A light dusting of cocoa powder or finely ground espresso over the foam, using a small sieve, looks elegant and adds aroma. A few drops of chocolate bitters or a thin drizzle of chocolate syrup on the foam, dragged with a toothpick into a pattern, is the latte-art version. Grated dark chocolate or a pinch of cinnamon works too. Keep it light. The foam is the star; the dusting is the frame.
Citrus, for the people who know
An orange twist expressed over an espresso martini is a bartender trick that changes the drink. The orange oil cuts the sweetness and the smell hits before the coffee does. Express the peel, then drop it in or hang it on the rim. An orange pick gives you the look if you're not cutting peel for twenty drinks.
Holiday versions
The espresso martini is a December drink whether you planned it or not. A peppermint espresso martini gets a crushed candy cane rim and a candy cane pick. A gingerbread espresso martini (gingerbread syrup, a pinch of ginger) gets a gingerbread pick. A vanilla or white chocolate version looks right with a snowflake pick. All three are on a bamboo stick, so they lay across a coupe without tipping it.
The sweet-and-sassy version
A cherry on the foam is not traditional, but a dark Amarena cherry on a cherry pick across the rim looks fantastic for a girls' night, and a lot of people prefer the taste to coffee beans. The same pick works in a lemon drop, so if you're serving both, one set covers the bar. For the lemon drop side of the table, our lemon picks are the match.
Making them for a crowd
Espresso martinis don't batch well in a pitcher because the foam is built in the shaker. What works: pre-mix the vodka, coffee liqueur and simple syrup in a bottle, pull or brew the espresso in advance and chill it, then shake two at a time. Garnish as you go. Set the picks out in a jar next to the coupes so whoever's shaking can grab one without looking. Plan on one pick per drink and two drinks per guest, and a set of 50 covers a party of twenty with room to spare.
Keep reading: our martini garnish guide, how to garnish an old fashioned, and cosmopolitan garnishes. Or browse every design in the cocktail picks collection.
