Best Creamy Espresso Martini with Baileys

The best creamy espresso martini with Baileys and Kahlua adds Baileys Irish Cream to a classic espresso martini recipe. That makes this easy coffee cocktail rich and creamy and just a bit sweeter than the original.

It’s the perfect drink for coffee lovers. Enjoy it as part of a holiday celebration or an after-dinner cocktail.

Jump to:

• The story
• Modern cocktails
• Key technique: the dry shake
• Ingredients
• FAQs
• Related recipes
• Best Creamy Espresso Martini with Baileys
• What’s next

The story

This creamy espresso martini with Baileys Irish Cream was created for the 2022 52 weeks of cocktails challenge (week 9: Baileys). I had been thinking about remaking my gin espresso martini for the prior week’s challenge (coffee or tea). Instead, I played around with a chai bourbon old-fashioned with a honey simple syrup.

Modern cocktails

The original espresso martini was created by Dick Bradsell in the 1980s. There are not many truly famous bartenders, but he is the source of many famous modern cocktails, including the espresso martini, the bramble, and others.

Key technique: the dry shake

You could spend time learning the different shaking techniques for cocktails. To get a frothy espresso martini that mimics the crema of an espresso shot, the shake is longer than a typical shaken cocktail, about 20 to 30 seconds. But to do that and not dilute your drink, you need to do a dry shake.

The dry shake is used to make the foam and froth in cocktails with egg whites like a vodka sour or Aperol sour. To do a regular dry shake, put your cocktail ingredients in your cocktail shaker without any ice. For best results, shake hard for 20 to 30 seconds. Then add about a half cup of ice cubes, and shake again just to chill. Pour into a chilled glass, garnish, and serve immediately.

However, if you’ve just pulled a shot of espresso and want to make your espresso martini immediately, your espresso will be HOT and you need to cool it down quickly. So, just like with the reverse creaming method for cakes, there’s a reverse dry shake. With the reverse shake, you shake briefly (about 10 seconds) with ice to chill the espresso and the rest of your espresso martini ingredients. Discard the ice and then do a hard dry shake to make your espresso martini all frothy and creamy.

So do the dry shake. That’s what makes this the best espresso martini!

Ingredients

Vodka

Vodka is the base liquor in this cocktail, like in the traditional espresso martini. To bring in a bit of controversy here, some would suggest that all (or at least most) vodka is the same. So use whatever vodka you have and like to drink. If you like flavored vodka, it’s easy to infuse your own.

Espresso

If you have an espresso coffee machine, go ahead and and pull a shot of fresh espresso. Purists may say you can’t make an espresso martini without freshly brewed espresso.

Most of us aren’t lucky enough to have our own espresso machine. If you aren’t, you can sub in instant espresso powder like the one pictured below. Some people also make espresso martinis with cold brew coffee. You can even use decaf espresso if you like. Whatever you do, make it strong.

I use espresso powder in lots of baking. It’s a key ingredient in this coffee and walnut loaf cake. Coffee is used in the cake layers in this triple layer chocolate cake and peanut butter drip cake. Or it’s used in coffee syrup to soak a tiramisu layer cake.

Coffee liqueur

When you think of coffee liqueurs, your first thought is probably Kahlua. But there are lots of other options.

The picture below has Tia Maria on the left and Kahlua on the right. They have the exact same percent of alcohol by volume.

I’ll encourage you to do a taste test of coffee liqueurs. Tia Maria is sweeter with a stronger taste of alcohol. The Kahlua is darker and has a stronger coffee flavor. There are now lots of small brew coffee liqueurs, and any coffee liqueur will work in this Baileys espresso martini.

Baileys Irish Cream

There are also lots of Baileys variations. But it’s the Baileys Original Irish Cream that makes this a creamy espresso martini and takes your espresso martini to a new level.

Baileys Irish Cream is a liqueur made with Irish whiskey, cream, sugar, and cocoa. Although the liqueur was inspired by The Bailey’s Hotel, the trademark leaves out the apostrophe, so it’s Baileys and not Bailey’s Irish Cream.

If you want to, check out this Baileys recipe and make your own!

Variations and substitutions

• Add a few dashes of chocolate bitters.
• Make a classic espresso martini with equal amounts of vodka, espresso, and coffee liqueur.
• Substitute an equal amount of rum for the vodka to make a rum espresso martini.
• Substitute Frangelico for the coffee liqueur for a hazelnut espresso martini.
• Sub cream for the Baileys to make your creamy espresso martini with cream.

Storage

Most spirits and liqueurs can be stored in a cool, dark cabinet for months to years. Cream-based liqueurs like Baileys might last longer than its two year shelf life if you keep in the refrigerator, although you do not have to refrigerate Baileys.

FAQs

Related recipes

Check out other uglyducklingbakery beverages including: the Pornstar martini, Peanut Butter Manhattan or a Perfect Brandy Manhattan; “The Lady Bridgerton” Empress gin cocktail; or a Cherry Bakewell cocktail. If you love a true martini, try out my dry martini.

Love cocktails and want to explore more? Read all about classic cocktails and bartender basics or join this year’s 52 weeks of cocktails challenge!

What’s next

If you agree that this is the best creamy espresso martini with Baileys, please comment or leave a rating. Pretty please!