A small note for those who want to play bartender at home: I've prepared a ready-made ingredient list with everything required. Now let me tell you how it all began.
The Espresso Martini was created by the legendary Dick Bradsell in London in 1983, at Fred's Club in Soho. According to the famous story, a young model walked up to the bar and asked for something that would "wake me up and then f\*\*\* me up" (the model, according to Bradsell himself, was Naomi Campbell, though he remained discreet about it). Bradsell grabbed a fresh shot of espresso, vodka and coffee liqueur, and invented a modern classic.
Originally called the "Vodka Espresso," the drink was renamed Espresso Martini in the 1990s to fit the "-tini" trend, and exploded globally in the 2010s alongside the third-wave coffee movement. Today it's one of the most ordered cocktails in the world, a perfect hybrid of café culture and nightclub glamour.
The secret of every great home bartender is not just the recipe but the right tools. My recommended barman kit on Amazon packs everything you need, from shaker to jigger, into one clean set. And for those who want the whole theater, a professional cocktail bar station transforms any corner of your home into a real bar.