Cocktail Party

Cold Brew-Stout Martini

August 16, 2023
5
1 Ratings
Photo by Ty Mecham. Prop Stylist: Megan Hedgpeth. Food Stylist: Lauren LaPenna.
  • Prep time 25 minutes
  • Cook time 20 minutes
  • makes 1 cocktail
Author Notes

Credited to London bartender Dick Bradsell, the Espresso Martini was born out of the ‘80s club scene. These days, the Espresso Martini is pushing 40 and it’s also having quite the renaissance, so it seems like a good time to give it a well-deserved review. From the classic three-part formula to heavy cream monsters, it seems like everyone and their mother has their preferred build for this drink.

Regardless of the accouterments, our sponsor Tito’s Handmade Vodka is a great base for any Espresso Martini, because its corn base leads to a smooth and round body, perfect for any coffee drink. In this recipe, I use cold brew as opposed to espresso—this makes the drink more accessible and easier to whip up. For the third defining element, coffee liqueur, I’ve decided to stick with the classic coffee liqueur. I’ve also included a bit of cream sherry and orange bitters to accentuate the coffee notes, and the stout syrup is a nod to those who may enjoy a certain Irish cream liqueur in their espresso ‘tinis. In this case however, the addition is used to bolster the body while adding a hint of malt. Finally, using a bit of salt in nearly any cocktail can help to round out the drink’s palate, and that rings especially true here with a touch of homemade saline solution. —Harper Fendler

Test Kitchen Notes

This recipe is sponsored by Tito's Handmade Vodka.

*TitosVodka.com* Crafted to be savored responsibly. DISTILLED & BOTTLED BY FIFTH GENERATION INC. AUSTIN, TEXAS 40% ALC./VOL. ©2023 TITO’s HANDMADE VODKA.
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Cold Brew-Stout Martini
Ingredients
  • For the cocktail:
  • 1 1/2 ounces Tito’s Handmade Vodka
  • 3/4 ounce cold brew-stout syrup
  • 1/2 ounce coffee liqueur
  • 1/4 dash cream sherry
  • 1 dash saline solution
  • 1 dash orange bitters
  • 1 egg white
  • Espresso powder, for garnish
  • Cinnamon whipped cream, for garnish (optional)
  • For the cold brew-stout syrup:
  • 1 (12-ounce) can stout beer
  • 6 ounces cane sugar
  • 6 ounces cold brew (homemade or store-bought)
  • For the saline solution:
  • 10 parts water
  • 1 part kosher salt
Directions
  1. For the cocktail: Add all ingredients except for garnish to a shaker. Dry shake (without ice) vigorously for about 15 seconds. Add ice and shake for an additional 10 to 20 seconds, or until the shaker is cold and developing a light frost.
  2. Fine strain into a chilled coupe. Dust top with espresso powder to finish.
  3. For the cold brew-stout syrup: Add stout beer to a small saucepan and bring to just a simmer over medium-low heat, whisking occasionally to ensure the liquid doesn’t boil over. (Note: the beer will froth, don’t panic!)
  4. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until stout beer is reduced by half.
  5. Place a heat-safe bowl on a kitchen scale, make sure the scale’s units are set to ounces, and hit the tare button. Transfer reduced liquid to the heat-safe bowl and weigh (you should have about 6 ounces of the reduced liquid).
  6. Add equal weight of the cane sugar (6 ounces) and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Let cool.
  7. Using the kitchen scale, weigh out an equal amount of the cold brew to match the weight of the reduced stout (about 6 ounces). Add cold brew to stout-sugar mixture.
  8. For the saline solution: Add water and salt to a small bowl. Stir until salt is dissolved.

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1 Review

TheBigVee September 30, 2024
In preparation for a crowd of 16 friends coming over next weekend, I made a couple of “test” drinks of this recipe for my husband and I to try. Delicious. I must note that I did not include the cream sherry (didn’t have any on hand, tho will add in the big batch) nor did I add the egg whites (I shy away from adding egg whites to cocktails), and I did not add any sweetener to the whipped cream (thought drink was sweet enuf.) Okay to make the stout-cold brew syrup ahead, and if so, how long will it safely keep in the fridge? 2) Any substitute ingredient you like that would give the body and froth the egg whites provide? 3) Correction needed on ingredients list: should be 1/4 oz. cream sherry (not 1/4 dash.) Thanks for a delicious drink!