Justin's Espresso Martini

1. Make 3 ounces of espresso.
2. Place espresso into the fridge/freezer to chill.
3. Chill coupe glasses by filling them with ice and water.
4. Grab a shaker tin, but DO NOT ADD ICE.
5. Add Mr. Black, vodka, chilled espresso, demerara syrup, and egg white to the shaker tin.
6. Cover the shaker tin and shake vigorously WITHOUT ice for at least 30 seconds (it will feel like a long time). This creates the good foam on top. So shake like hell!
7. Add ice cubes to the shaker tin and shake again for 10 seconds. This brings your beautiful foamy cocktail to the correct temperature.
8. Dump ice and water that have been chilling the coupe glasses.
9. Double strain into coupe glasses (using both a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer).
10. Grate chocolate on top of the drinks using a Microplane.
11. Sprinkle a pinch of salt on top of each drink.
12. Add three espresso beans to the top of each drink (they represent health, wealth, and happiness).

Ingredients

• 2 cups Demerara sugar
• 1 cup Water

Directions

1. Add water to a small pot.
2. Add demerara sugar to pot.
3. Bring sugar water to heat over medium to high heat.
4. Turn off before it boils.
5. Let cool before using.
6. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to one month.

If you must buy instead of make, this one from Jack Rudy is a good one.

Your drink can only be as good as the quality of your ingredients, so don't skimp out. The Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur is truly the secret ingredient that makes this espresso martini stand out from others.

Separating the yolk from the egg per order will create the best cocktail, but you could use store-bought egg whites in a pinch.

I prefer around 70% dark chocolate to keep it from getting too sweet. The pinch of salt adds a subtle contrast that elevates the entire drink.

Equipment Recommendations

• Shaker tin
• Hawthorne strainer
• Mesh strainer
• Microplane
• Coupe glasses

Reverse Dry Shake Technique

• Put ingredients into shaker WITHOUT ice. Ingredients usually consist of some kind of citrus and egg white.
• Shake vigorously (30 to 60 seconds) to create a meringue or thick foam.
• Add ice to the tin.
• Shake again for at least 10 seconds to bring the temperature of the cocktail to nice and cold.
• Double strain into glass.