Gingerbread Espresso Martini

5 from 1 vote

The Gingerbread Espresso Martini is a festive twist on the classic Espresso Martini recipe! Gingerbread syrup gives this drink a fun holiday twist, with notes of ginger and molasses.

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: alcohol, coffee, coffee liqueur, espresso, gingerbread, vodka

Servings: cocktail

Calories: 203kcal

Author: Kimberly Salem

Equipment

Espresso maker (or get a freshly brewed shot at a coffee shop)
Small dishes (to add the cookie crumb rim)
Cocktail shaker and strainer
Jigger or measuring cup
Fine mesh strainer
Cocktail serving glass (Martini glass) (or a Coupe glass)

Ingredients

Garnish

2 Tablespoons crushed gingerbread cookies
2 Tablespoons gingerbread syrup (see Notes)
3 whole coffee beans

Cocktail

1¼ ounce vodka
½ ounce Kahlua (or other coffee liqueur)
¾ ounce gingerbread syrup (see Notes)
1 ounce espresso (freshly brewed and cooled - see Notes)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cookie Crumb Glass Rim

Add the gingerbread cookie crumbs to one small dish, and the 2 Tablespoons of gingerbread syrup to the other dish.
Dip the rim of your serving glass into the syrup, turning and re-dipping so that the whole rim is coated in syrup. Let any excess drip back into the dish.
Dip the rim into the cookie crumbs, turning and re-dipping to coat the whole rim in the crumbs.
Set the glass aside while you make the drink.

Cocktail

Add the vodka, Kahlua, gingerbread syrup and espresso to your cocktail shaker.
Fill the shaker with ice and seal it up.
Shake vigorously for about 30 seconds or until the mixture builds up a good foam.
Strain the drink into the prepared glass. If you have a fine mesh strainer, pour the mixture through both strainers at the same time (this is called "double straining").
Gently place the coffee beans so they float on top of the foam, and serve. Cheers!

Notes

You can use store bought gingerbread syrup, but it's also super easy to make your own at home. The full recipe is here: Gingerbread Syrup.
If you don't have an espresso maker, you can use cold brew or cooled regular coffee. Just keep in mind that it will probably not make a strong foam layer. (A freshly opened can of Nitro cold brew works better than the others.)
You can also use melted chocolate instead of the gingerbread syrup to get the crumbs to stick on the rim of the glass.

Nutrition