Who says gin is a summer drink? With the colder nights and rainier days here in typical British fashion, we all want to be tucked up indoors with a cup of coffee. We like to go one step further… by adding gin! An espresso martini is one of the most simple but elegant, and warming yet refreshing cocktails out there, with a beautiful combination of espresso and sweetness. We feel gin adds to this further, balancing the coffee with gins botanicals. A gin espresso martini is a perfectly balanced cocktail in our (unbiased) opinion!
Where the classic espresso martini uses vodka to make the drink more coffee-forward, our gin espresso martini uses Matobo gin. This is our collaboration with Paignton Zoo and the Wild Planet Trust, where with every bottle sold, we make a donation back towards their conservation efforts. This gin has an interesting selection of botanicals, with African black pepper, pink hibiscus and acacia. This spice-led gin creates a well balanced version of the cocktail, with the black pepper in perfectly complimenting the sweet espresso and vanilla combination.
To make your Matobo gin espresso martini at home, this is what you need:
Ingredients:
50ml Matobo Gin
25ml coffee liqueur (we like Kahlua)
25ml fresh espresso
12.5ml vanilla syrup
Method:
- Add ice to a martini glass to chill
- Add Matobo Gin, coffee liqueur, fresh espresso and vanilla syrup to a shaker with plenty of ice
- Shake hard for around 30 seconds until cold and foamy
- Dispose of the ice in your martini glass and double strain your drink into the glass
- Garnish with three coffee beans - they signify wealth, health and happiness!
While we love a warm cup of coffee, this version of an espresso martini is by far our favourite way to get our hit of caffeine. Enjoy!
For more Torbay Gin cocktails, visit our Cocktail Corner.
