Kentucky Espresso Martini

Well…this post was going to start a series of sharing my favorite warm cocktails for holiday/winter, but, I’m still wearing a t-shirt to do farm chores, so I present my Kentucky Espresso Martini!

If you know me, you know my spirit of choice is, and always has been, bourbon. If you don’t know me, now you know. While bourbon is almost always an ingredient in my cocktail order, espresso martinis often sneak their way into rotation, especially on a girl’s night now that we seem to struggle to stay out past 9PM!

When one of my favorite distilleries, Buffalo Trace, came out with their Bourbon Cream, I knew had to experiment. I knew I wanted to find a way to combine my love of bourbon, with my love of the espresso martini so I got to work and dialed the perfect bourbon lover’s holiday happy hour or after dinner cocktail, my Kentucky Espresso Martini.

Ingredients (6 oz martini glass)

1. Kentucky Bourbon (2 oz.)
2. Espresso (2 oz.) or cold brew coffee (2 oz.)
3. Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream (2 oz.)
4. Espresso beans for garnish

Combine all ingredients, excluding the garnish in a shaker with ice. Shake for about 1 minute. It will seem like eternity, but it’s worth it! Strain into a chilled martini glass, garnish with a few espresso beans and enjoy!

If you’re looking to serve lots of people, you could batch this in a pitcher and stir vigorously with ice to combine. It’s not quite the same as the small batch, shaken version, but it will get the job done!

Apologies to the martini purists

To call this drink a martini is quite the stretch considering a classic martini is a 6:1 ratio dry gin to dry vermouth stirred with ice and served with an olive garnish. Really, the only link to a classic martini for this cocktail is the martini glass and that it’s a booze forward, STRONG cocktail.

I was once told by a very wise woman, “martinis are like boobs, one is not enough, and three is too many.” It still makes me laugh and it’s still great advice, consume with caution. Heck, sometimes one is just enough and you have to throw the first half of this sage advice above out the window. I always recommend following the last half, especially if you want to get a good night sleep.

Shaken or stirred?

A classic martini should always be stirred, contrary to the preference of Bond, James Bond. Martinis with extras, like creamy liquors or fruit juices should be shaken with ice to ensure the ingredients are mixed and chilled to perfection. No shaker, no problem! You can create your own shaker with glasses from your cabinets. As long as it seals and is durable enough to withstand being vigorously shaken, you can make it a cocktail shaker. We’re already taking a leap away from the classic martini, I’m not afraid to improvise when it comes to tools. America’s Test Kitchen has an extra easy way to make one from a mason jar and canning lids.

Winter is coming….

It may be unseasonably warm for this time of year here in Kansas, but Winter is coming…eventually. When that times comes, this cocktail transitions with just a few simple adjustments! Instead of serving chilled in a martini glass, serve it hot in a mug and call it Kentucky Coffee. Heck, go crazy and top it with some whipped cream! To serve warm, you’ll want to batch enough for all and warm over med-low heat and ladle into mugs.

Can’t find Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream?

It took us a while to find the Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream in a local liquor store. Like many bourbons, you may need to hunt around to find it. Jim Beam and Ezra Brooks also have their own bourbon creams, but I’ve not tried either. I’m certain either would be delicious! If your hunt for bourbon cream is unsuccessful, Bailey’s Irish Cream will do the trick!

Cheers my friends!

XOXO,

Alden