Irish Espresso Martini With Baileys: And Indulgent Recipe That’s Hard To Beat

The Irish Espresso Martini with Baileys is one of my favourite Irish cocktails for those chilly winter evenings.

Although it looks tricky to make, it really isn’t – you just need to follow a no-BS recipe!

In the guide below, we’ll present you with a very straightforward Baileys Espresso Martini recipe to help you mix up this classic Irish cocktail at home.

Some quick need-to-knows before making an Irish Espresso Martini with Baileys

Before you look at how to make the Baileys Espresso Martini, take 20 seconds to read the below points (it’ll give you a better result):

1. Use a good vodka and a premium espresso

Vodka and espresso are two key ingredients in the Irish Espresso Martini with Baileys, so it’s important that the ones you use are of good quality (i.e. don’t buy cheap vodka that’d strip paint from walls).

2. We don’t use coffee liqueur (you can, if you like)

Many Espresso Martini recipe with Baileys use Kahlua or Tia Maria. I prefer it without the liqueur, as I find that it can overpower the creaminess of the baileys, but use it if you like.

3. Be careful when you add the espresso

When it comes to adding the mixture to the shaker, be quick. You’re adding hot espresso to ice so, when left for too long, the mix can become over-diluted. So, pop everything into the shaker, shake hard and then serve.

Our Irish Espresso Martini ingredients

This Baileys Espresso Martini is incredibly easy to make and you only need a handful of ingredients to get it rocking:

• 2 ounces of Baileys Irish Cream
• 0.25 ounces of vodka (e.g. Dingle)
• 0.25 ounces of espresso
• A couple of coffee beans for garnishing

How to make an Irish Espresso Martini with Baileys

This recipe is nice and easy to make, even if you’re not used to assembling cocktails. In the video above, you’ll find one variation. Below, you’ll find my favourite version:

Step 1: Brew your espresso

You’ll want some nice, freshly ground espresso for your Irish Espresso Martini (don’t be tempted to make the instant kind). Brew up your coffee and then leave it sit while you assemble your ingredients.

Step 2: Chill your glass

Our second step is optional, but it’s a handy method to keep your drink cool for longer. Simply drop some ice in a glass, place your hand over the top and swirl the ice around the glass.

Keep on going for around 15 – 20 seconds and your glass will be nice and chilly. Pour out the ice and any water left behind in the glass.

Step 3: Add your ingredients to a shaker

Take a cocktail shaker (remember, if you don’t have a cocktail shaker, you can use a protein shaker) and half fill it with ice. Then add the vodka and the Baileys followed by the fresh espresso.

Step 4: Shake quickly, strain and serve

You don’t want the espresso melting the ice too much, so get the lid on your shaker and shake it hard until you either 1, feel the ice breaking up or 2, feel the shaker getting nice and cool.

When you’re ready, pour your Baileys Espresso Martini into a glass and garnish it with a couple of coffee beans. And that’s it!

Discover more delicious cocktails like this

Looking to sip away on some other cocktails like the Baileys Martini? Here’s some of our most popular drink guides to hop into:

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• 18 Traditional Irish Cocktails That Are Easy To Make (And Very Tasty)
• 14 Delicious Jameson Cocktails To Try This Weekend
• 15 Irish Whiskey Cocktails That’ll Tantalise Your Tastebuds
• 17 Of The Tastiest Irish Drinks (From Irish Beers To Irish Gins)

FAQs about our Espresso Martini recipe with Baileys

We’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from ‘What Espresso Martini recipe with Baileys has the least calories?’ to ‘Can you make it with decaf?’ (you can).

In the section below, we’ve popped in the most FAQs that we’ve received. If you have a question that we haven’t tackled, ask away in the comments section below.