The Espresso Martini was invented in the 1980s at Fred's Club in London when a model asked for a cocktail that would "wake me up and f*ck me up" at the same time. Bartender Dick Bradsell knew just what to do, and combined vodka with espresso and coffee liqueur for a drink that was both potent and eye-opening. Our non-alcoholic Espresso Martini might not f*ck you up, but it'll certainly wake you up, and it's delicious to boot.
We've made quite a few non-alcoholic Espresso Martinis in pursuit of the perfect pour, and we think we've nailed it with this one. It deviates a bit from the classic recipe to compensate for the fact that non-alcoholic vodka isn't really a thing, instead incorporating non-alcoholic rum and The Pathfinder, a bittersweet amaro sub. Our alcohol-free Aromatic bitters and a little maple syrup help tie the whole thing together.
Combine all ingredients in a shaker and dry shake (without ice) for 20 seconds to create foam.
Add ice and shake again until chilled.
Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with 3 espresso beans.
Recipe Note
If you don't have access to an espresso machine (we sure don't), cold brew concentrate will work just as well, and it's a whole lot easier. Try to avoid using regular coffee or cold brew, as it won't be as flavorful.
Any non-alcoholic rum will work here, but we love Ritual Zero Proof Rum Alternative in this cocktail because it adds some body, a little bit of burn, and plenty of spice. You can find it, and The Pathfinder, together at a number of online non-alc retailers including The Zero Proof and Boisson.
MAKE IT MINDFULLY LOW ALCOHOL Want to wake up but just get a little bit f*cked up? Simply replace 1 oz of regular alcoholic rum, or use 1 oz of an alcoholic Amaro like Ramazzotti instead of The Pathfinder. In either case, you'll end up with a cocktail that's low ABV but still has plenty of pep.
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