TL;DR: Espresso martini pre-mix + a splash of Baileys + a shaker full of ice + 15 seconds of effort = the only drink order she’s ever given. Shake hard, strain into something chilled, add three beans, and don’t overthink it. The Baileys is the creamer. It always has been.


She’ll have her usual. If you know her, you already know what she’s ordering.

I’m “her.” Doesn’t matter if it’s a rooftop lounge in the city, a corner booth at my favourite restaurant, a small-town dive bar with sticky menus, mom’s kitchen counter, the golf clubhouse after the back nine, or a Yeti cup smuggled into the hockey tournament parents’ section — the order is always the same. And honestly? It’s always the right call.

The secret, I’ll tell you, isn’t the vodka or the Kahlúa or even the technique. It’s the balance. Enough caffeine to keep you present, enough of the booze-y bit to take the edge off — but never so much of either that you tip too far in either direction. It’s a drink that keeps you in the room, in the moment and very much in the conversation.

And as for the Baileys — in my home growing up, it was never a cocktail ingredient. It was the “creamer.” It lived next to the coffee maker. So really, adding a splash to your espresso is just… breakfast logic. We’re just shaking it first.

baileys espresso martini recipe

Baileys Espresso Martini

What You’ll Need
(serves 2 — always make two)

To serve: coupe glasses, chilled


How to Make It

  1. Fill your shaker to the top with ice. Cold shaker, cold glass — don’t skip this part.
  2. Add the vodka, Baileys, espresso, and Kahlúa. Syrup only if your espresso is pulling bitter that day.
  3. Seal it and shake hard for a full 15 seconds. The foam is everything and the foam is earned, so let your arms feel it.
  4. Double-strain into chilled coupe glasses. The pale, creamy head will rise on its own — just watch it settle.
  5. Three coffee beans on each glass. Health, wealth, happiness — my Grand-MaMa always said and she knew best.
  6. Drink before it loses the foam. This one doesn’t wait.


A Few Notes Worth Keeping

The espresso: Fresh-pulled, always. Let it cool two minutes before it hits the ice or you’ll melt your shake before it starts. A pod machine is perfectly fine — nobody’s judging the equipment.

The Baileys: It’s doing double duty here — cream and sweetness in one pour. Taste before you reach for the syrup.

The shake: The harder, the better. Flat foam means you stopped too soon. Go again.

The glass: A coupe holds the foam longer and keeps the drink colder than a standard martini glass. It’s not just pretty, it’s functional.

The Yeti cup version: Yes, it works. No, it’s not the same, but I’ll drink it anyway.


The Cheat — And Zero Shame In It

Spotted the espresso martini pre-mix at your local liquor store? Pick it up. Seriously.

Grab your favourite bottle — Kahlúa, Ketel One, Stoli, or whatever your store carries — and here’s what you do:

Pour the pre-mix into your shaker over a full load of ice. Add a generous splash of Baileys. That’s it. That’s the upgrade. Shake it just as hard, strain it just as carefully, and finish it with those three beans on top.

The Baileys is still doing its job. The foam will still rise.

The only rule: don’t skip the shake. The pre-mix earns its foam the same way the scratch version does — through effort. Thirty seconds of commitment and it looks like you made it from scratch. Because in the ways that count, you did.


Some people have a signature. I have a drink order. And after one sip, you’ll understand why it never changes — because trying one without the Baileys is a personality test, and the espresso martini without it has decided your personality is “I enjoy suffering and also I’m fine.“