Believe it not the Espresso Martini started life as the Vodka Espresso. Originally created in London in 1983 by Dick Bradsell of the Soho Brasserie, the Espresso Martini was inspired by the messy coffee area near the bar. When a customer came in one night asking for a cocktail to "wake her up and f*** her up" she got handed a newly born drink of vodka, simple syrup, Kahlua and Tia Maria called a Vodka Espresso. Later Bradsell renamed his cocktail the Espresso Martini to cash in on the burgeoning designer martini craze. Some years later Mr. Bradsell once again reinvented his cocktail and renamed it the Pharmaceutical Stimulant.
Now, no matter what it's called and nearly 40 years later, this caffeinated classic is still keeping folks awake and double buzzed. Much like a classic martini, the ingredients and ratios are up for debate, every bartender and era has put their own stamp on it, but the basics of freshly brewed espresso, vodka and some coffee liqueur are the essentials necessary to get woke and messed up simultaneously.
Below is my favorite version.
