Dick Bradsell at The Soho Brasserie, Old Compton Street, London, 1983 (as the Vodka Espresso)

Vodka, coffee liqueur, and Monmouth Coffee.

Allergen | Caffeine
Vegan | Yes
ABV | 20%

In London in the early 1980s, at the very beginning of the cocktail renaissance, the father of the modern cocktail movement Dick Bradsell created the Vodka Espresso. It was possibly a pick-me-up cocktail for a famous model. Whatever it was, it has gone on to become the first and most famous of all of the Renaissance Classics.

Like every cocktail, an Espresso Martini is only as good as its ingredients. We pull every espresso by hand, and blend it with a vodka only made for this drink by our partner 58 & Co. Super smooth triple distilled vodkas don’t work in this drink. It needs something tougher, that can keep the coffee in check.

Dick’s original recipe included sugar syrup. We dropped that, but we do introduce sweetness from a coffee liqueur we use to balance the drink. If you shake this drink with ice for twenty seconds, you will get the rich crema this drink depends on, every time. When you do, add three beans for health, wealth and happiness.

Taste Profile

Rich and indulgent. A velvet dream on the tongue. Notes of bold espresso, strong vodka, and a hint of sweetness from the coffee liqueur.

Perfect Serve

Pour into a shaker. Add ice. Hard shake for twenty seconds, Single strain into a coupe. Garnish with three beans, the con la mosca.

Classic Serve

Want to try the original drink? Fill a rocks glass with ice. Add 100ml and stir for 15 seconds. If you’re feeling sentimental for the late 1990s, serve on the rocks in a medicinal cup and it’s a Pharmaceutical Stimulant - the name Dick gave to the drink when he was creating the service for Damien Hirt’s restaurant Pharmacy in Notting Hill.

Playlist for your 1983 Soho listening pleasure

When considering the history of this cultural icon, it’s worth remembering that in 1983 that other cultural icon Kate Moss was nine (Naomi Campbell was 13).

ESPRESSO MARTINI