In 1983, a world famous model strutted into the London bar, where late bartender legend Dick Bradsell worked.
Worn out from a day of super-modelling, she orders a special drink but what she said would soon become legendary…
Dick had just the thing – inspired by the coffee grounds around him, he makes a freshly pressed espresso and mixes in a shaker together with Coffee Liqueur (Kahlúa of course), vodka and sugar syrup. After a long hard shake, he pours it into a martini glass and gently pushes the drink towards the model – The first version of the now-legendary cocktail was born!
Over the next few years, Bradsell refined the recipe into what would become the now-ubiquitous Espresso Martini.
The main difference between the two? The Vodka Espresso’s sweetness (thanks to the addition of simple syrup).