Espresso Martini

Ah, my night-owl troupe of sophisticates, dare we venture into the twilight world where the vivacity of espresso dances a tango with the nocturnal mystique of vodka? The Espresso Martini, a concoction so brimming with energy, it promises not just to awaken your spirits but to attire them in the sleek velvet of the evening.

Ingredients

• 2 oz (60 ml) vodka, as smooth and enigmatic as a moonlit lake in the Siberian wilderness.
• 1 oz (30 ml) espresso, freshly brewed, the essence of coffee beans roasted at the stroke of midnight, a liquid ode to the night.
• 1/2 oz (15 ml) coffee liqueur, the dark whisper of secrets shared in hushed tones under the cover of darkness.
• 1/4 oz (7.5 ml) simple syrup, to sweeten the potion, a sugared veil over the complexities of the night.
• Ice, the silent witness to the alchemy at play, the custodian of chill.
• 3 coffee beans, for garnish, the trinity of health, wealth, and happiness, an emblem of good fortune to accompany your journey into the night.

Directions

1. In a shaker that has seen more stories unfold than the stars in the heavens, combine vodka, espresso, coffee liqueur, and simple syrup over ice, as if mixing the very elixir of twilight itself.
2. Shake with the fervor of a tempest, until the concoction is chilled to the bone, as invigorating as the first breath of a winter morning.
3. Strain into a martini glass that glistens like the first frost, a crystal vessel awaiting the potion of night.
4. Garnish with three coffee beans, a constellation floating atop the ebony canvas, a guide through the darkness towards dawn.

Tips

• The selection of vodka is crucial; it must be as refined and polished as the cut of a diamond, a spirit that elevates without overpowering.
• The espresso must be of the highest caliber, a brew that sings of the soil and the sun, a coffee that can stand alone against the night.
• The act of shaking is a ritual, an invocation of the chill that locks in the flavors, melding them into a harmony of taste.

Calories & Alcohol

In our closing, my beloved connoisseurs of the nocturne, the Espresso Martini is not merely a drink; it is a beacon in the night, a reminder that even in the deepest shadows, there are energies and joys to be found and savored.

As we bid adieu to our soiree under the stars, let it be known that this harbinger of twilight vigor contains approximately 217 calories, with an alcohol content that elegantly pirouettes at about 1.6 standard drinks (2.6 AU). A modest toll for the indulgence in night’s own nectar.