Our tequila espresso martini recipe is an elevated twist on our favorite classic cocktail: the vodka espresso martini cocktail.
Coffee lovers unite! This cocktail is a great way to get ready for a night out thanks to the splash of caffeine.
Is also a great after dinner cocktail to serve with dessert, like our Salted Caramel Lace Cookies, our Dark Chocolate Brownie Bites Recipe or even as an adults-only beverage option to our Hot Chocolate Charcuterie Board for the winter season.
What is a Tequila Espresso Martini
A tequila espresso martini is similar to a classic espresso martini but with a twist: it’s made with tequila!
This creates an additional depth of flavor that vodka can’t provide.
A Mexican espresso martini uses a few simple ingredients and is a fun twist on a traditional espresso martini.
After doing many, many tequila tastings while in Mexico, our appreciation for tequila grew (don’t miss our guides on Centro Historico Mexico City, La Condesa and Roma Mexico City, the magical cliffside hot springs of Grutas de Tolantongo, or our recommendations on the Best Tulum Restaurants).
Adding Coffee Flavor to the Tequila Espresso Martini
We used Tequila Cazadores Cafe, a new liquor we discovered while at the Tales of the Cocktail Conference.
This does a great job bringing in the coffee flavor to our espresso martini because the tequila is already sweetened with coffee essence, chocolate, and notes of vanilla, which makes it an easy, two-ingredient tequila espresso martini.
If you do not have Tequila Cazadores Cafe on hand, you can just use regular tequila and add in coffee liquor.
We use cold brew in our espresso martinis as an easy shortcut.
If you do not have cold brew on hand, you can make a shot of espresso from an espresso machine or even brew it in a french press.
What Type of Tequila to Use
As we said, we love using Tequila Cazadores Cafe for this recipe, but a high-quality regular tequila will also work, as long as you add some coffee liquor.
You can use either a blanco tequila, also known as a silver tequila, for a cleaner taste, or a reposado tequila if you would like even more depth of flavor.
Equipment Needed for our Tequila Espresso Martini Recipe
Do you have the essential barware you need? There are critical equipment pieces you need to make an espresso martini:
- Cocktail Shaker: The key to a cold espresso martini with nice foam is a good, hard shake. We love this no-leak cocktail shaker with an easy twist off lid when making cocktails at home.
- Jigger: With the no-leak cocktail shaker, the jigger is built into the shaker (hooray for one less dish to wash!), but if you use a traditional shaker, you will need a cocktail jigger to measure the ounces of each ingredient.
- Chilled Coupe Glass or Chilled Martini Glass: Always chill your martini glasses before serving. You can place them in the freezer beforehand or add ice cubes from an ice bucket to the glass prior to mixing your cocktail. Just dump out the ice cubes immediately before adding the martini to the glass.
- Espresso Machine or French Press: If you opt to not use premade cold brew, make your own espresso at home with an espresso machine or a french press.
What Does Three Espresso Beans Mean?
Coffee beans are traditionally used as a garnish when making espresso martinis.
Legend has it that garnishing an espresso martini with three coffee beans brings good luck!
What a great excuse to have an espresso martini…
Other Optional Tequila Espresso Martini Garnishes
If you’re looking for more pizazz in your garnish, consider these options.
- Whipped Cream: If you have a sweet tooth, you can add a bit of simple syrup to the cocktail shaker or just top the martini with whipped cream.
- Shaved Chocolate: Chocolate and tequila are a match made in heaven, use a cheese slicer on a block of chocolate to garnish with chocolate shavings.
- Cinnamon: We love to add a pinch of ground cinnamon on the top of the martini foam, but you can also add cinnamon sticks as a garnish.
- Sea Salt: A sprinkle of a little bit of sea salt on the top of the espresso martini complements the tequila really well.
Tequila Espresso Martini Recipe
Prep Time: 2 Minutes
Serves: 2 martinis
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Tequila Cazadores Cafe Liquor
- 2 oz. Brewed coffee or chilled espresso shot
Alternative Variation:
- 1 oz. Tequila
- 1 oz. Coffee liquor
- 3 oz. Cold brew or espresso
Directions:
- Start by adding ice cubes and all ingredients to a cocktail shaker (we love this no leak cocktail shakers for martinis).
- Shake vigorously for 30-60 seconds.
- Pour the cocktail into your martini glass.
Note: Feel free to add your garnish of choice: espresso beans, sea salt, chocolate, whipped cream, or cinnamon!
The Easiest Tequila Espresso Martini Recipe
Elevate your at-home martini game by making this super easy and flavorful tequila espresso martini recipe.
Ingredients
Two-Ingredient Recipe
- 2 oz. Tequila Cazadores Cafe Liquor
- 2 oz. Brewed coffee or chilled espresso shot
Alternative Version
- 1 oz. Tequila
- 1 oz. Coffee liquor
- 3 oz. Cold brew or chilled espresso shot
Instructions
- Start by adding ice cubes and all ingredients to a cocktail shaker (we love this no leak cocktail shakers for martinis).
- Shake vigorously for 30-60 seconds.
- Pour the cocktail into your martini glass.
Notes
Feel free to add your garnish of choice: espresso beans, sea salt, chocolate, whipped cream, or cinnamon!
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If you like this delicious cocktail recipe check out some of our other favorites:
- The best summer Irish Lemonade
- Sugar-free skinny margarita
- Margarita jello shots
- Smoked Old Fashioned
- Peanut Butter Whiskey Cocktail
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