Partisan X Röstbrüder
Waking up and having a drink - doing both at the same time. That is the promise of an Espresso Martini. But a good Espresso Martini stands or falls by its base. That’s why we brought in reinforcements: the Röstbrüder from Weimar , the hometown of our founders. Together, the question of which ingredients are truly worthy of an Espresso Martini was quickly resolved. Our unique Oat Vodka and the carefully selected espresso beans from Röstbrüder make it a genuine signature drink to mix at home. The soft mildness and characteristic oat notes of Partisan Organic Oat perfectly complement the mild, fruity notes of the Jönne coffee. A regional collaboration that also tastes great.
Our Espresso Martini Recipe
Unlike a "true" Martini, an Espresso Martini recipe calls for vodka instead of gin or vermouth. Even so, it is often served in style in a martini or coupe glass.
Our recipe for an Espresso Martini is based on Partisan Organic Oat and the Jönne espresso. Of course, you can also recreate the recipes with other espresso and vodka: this will change the flavor profile, but as long as you use high-quality ingredients, you will still get a cohesive cocktail. We show you three variations: our original, a fruity version, and one for the cozy season.
Recipe 1 - Simple Espresso Martini
We’ll start with a simple Espresso Martini recipe. If you prefer it less sweet and want the coffee flavors to take center stage, use less sugar syrup: it’s simply a matter of taste.
What's in it:
4 cl vodka (e.g., Partisan Organic Oat)
3 cl fresh espresso (e.g., Jönne)
2 cl sugar syrup (or to taste)
1 cl coffee liqueur
How to mix it:
Shake all ingredients vigorously with a few ice cubes in a cocktail shaker. Then strain through a sieve into a martini glass or similar and garnish with coffee beans.
Recipe 2 – Fruity Espresso Martini without Coffee Liqueur
Find the classic too boring? For our fruity variation, the coffee liqueur is replaced with cassis liqueur: something different, but with no great effort.
What's in it:
4 cl vodka (e.g., Partisan Organic Oat)
3 cl espresso (e.g., Jönne)
2 cl sugar syrup (or to taste)
1 cl cassis liqueur
How to mix it:
Shake all ingredients vigorously with a few ice cubes in a cocktail shaker. Then strain through a sieve into a martini glass or similar and garnish with a dried orange slice.
Recipe 3 – Winter Espresso Martini with Cinnamon
Our favorite for winter (but it already works great in autumn too).
What's in it:
4 cl vodka (e.g., Partisan Organic Oat)
3 cl espresso (e.g., Jönne)
2 cl maple syrup
1 cl coffee liqueur
a pinch of cinnamon
How to mix it:
Shake all ingredients vigorously with ice cubes in a cocktail shaker. Then strain through a sieve into the glass and garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Which vodka goes best with an Espresso Martini?
What could go better than oats in coffee? But oat milk is a thing of the past; we prefer drinking it as vodka. Partisan Organic Oat Vodka is therefore a perfect match for a successful Espresso Martini. Instead of neutrality, it gives the cocktail character and creaminess, as our oat vodka brings fine, sweet oat notes that wrap around the bitter coffee notes.
In the end, however, it’s all about the principle: because an Espresso Martini has few ingredients, the base counts. A neutral industrial vodka disappears into the coffee. A vodka with character carries the drink. Those who prefer it more classic can’t go wrong with Partisan Classic Wheat either.
JÖNNE Coexprocafe from Röstbrüder
Now for the coffee, because that’s half the battle. For our recipes, Röstbrüder selected JÖNNE. JÖNNE is grown by the Coexprocafe cooperative in the mountainous northwest of Colombia at over 1,700 meters above sea level. Cultivated with meticulous manual labor, harvested, and wet-processed, the old Colombian coffee tradition is continued this way.
After direct importation by hacofco, the beans are hand-roasted light and gently in the middle of Weimar. The result is a coffee that impresses not only with powerful cherry notes but also with a soft, caramel-like sweetness. It is characterized by a silky texture and a great balance of sweetness and acidity.
The recommended brewing temperature for JÖNNE is 94° C. You can find detailed instructions here.
Don’t have Jönne on hand? What matters in coffee
Of course, you don’t strictly have to use JÖNNE for our Espresso Martinis, even if we highly recommend it. Basically, any espresso works as long as the quality is right. After all, an Espresso Martini has only a few ingredients, and the coffee is one of the most important ones. You can taste cheap coffee in the drink just as clearly as cheap vodka.
It’s worth noting a few things. Most importantly: freshly brewed. An espresso that has been sitting in the pot for half an hour becomes bitter and flat - and you can taste that in the cocktail, too. So, brew it right before shaking.
When it comes to the roast level, you have the choice: a dark roast provides powerful, chocolatey-bitter notes; a lighter roast, like with JÖNNE, provides more fruit and acidity. Both work; it’s a question of your taste. It’s important that it is intense enough to hold its own alongside the vodka and syrup, because a thin coffee will get lost in the drink.
Practical tips for preparation
A few techniques determine whether the drink hits the spot:
Always shake with large ice cubes. Small or crushed ice melts too quickly and would dilute the drink. That is why it’s best to add the ice cubes to the shaker last. Don't waste any time after that, but make sure the shaker is well sealed. Shake until the shaker has frosted over.
Don't have a shaker? A well-sealed mason jar works too. The main thing is that the drink gets ice-cold and foamy.
Afterward, it’s strained: this means the drink is poured from the shaker through a sieve into the glass. This prevents ice and coffee grounds from ending up in the glass and ensures a creamy head of foam.
In bars, it is often even double-strained: first through a bar sieve and then through a very fine tea strainer.
But you've read enough about it now: just try it out!
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