Brewed Awakening

I have no thesis for this piece other than that I just really like Espresso Martinis right now. 

Yes, they’ve been around forever (since the early ’80s when London bartender Dick Bradsell allegedly invented them after a supermodel asked for “something to wake me up, then fuck me up”). They go in and out of fashion. I’m not sure if they are on trend right now, but who cares. Even the bad ones are pretty good, and the good ones are fantastic. The classic preparation is vodka, coffee liquor, and espresso, shaken to a froth and served in a nice glass—usually a coupe—often garnished with three coffee beans. With cocktail prices such as they are, you might as well catch two kinds of buzz. 

What I like best about ordering an Espresso Martini is that at least one person in the group I’m with’s eyes will light up: They, too, have been given permission. They are free. 

You can have one (1) per outing, and that’s it. One is perfect, two is insane. My deadline was tight, and I almost immediately realized that in order to try as many Espresso Martinis as I’d been recommended, I would need a full year and a nervous system made of steel. But I gave it my best shot (ha), so please enjoy this very incomplete list to use as your jumping-off point for your own Espresso Martini Summer. 

A-Pizza Mart on Capitol Hill is across the street from our office, and I think it might be the reason I got on this Espresso Martini kick in the first place. I noticed they offered one on draft—it felt like such a funny place to imbibe, but it was delicious and is now my go-to when we’re there. 

Bait Shop has a Big-Ass Espresso Martini (it’s huge and comes with three crazy straws for crazy sharing). 

La Dive’s slushie is the best frozen version I’ve tried; a petite portion in a petite glass. 

Linda’s Tavern makes theirs normal-sized and with Vita cold brew. It might be the Platonic ideal of the on-draft basics—it tastes like sweet coffee alcohol and is served cold in a nice glass. I have had it on their back patio with a grilled cheese twice now, and it was fab. 

Post Pike on Broadway has three. I had the house basic before taking the train (this bar’s light-rail proximity is ideal) to see Pride and Prejudice performed at Roosevelt High. I felt both relaxed and awake for the 2.5 hours of Jane Austen ahead of me (and the performance was really good!). 

Rich Rich is an ideal summer-vampire bar. On a recent sunny day, it was so dark I needed my friend to walk ahead of me because my eyes couldn’t adjust quickly enough for the very gentle ramp going in. It’s bitty, decorated in hot pink and black with glam accents, and deeply air-conditioned. Their Espresso Martini was a wild card—made with LALO Tequila (don’t worry, it’s pretty neutral), Mr. Black, banana, Cynar, espresso, and Rich syrup—and ended up my favorite. The banana was subtle and cut the bitterness, and the foam was velvety with small, tight bubbles. 

Sol Liquor’s EM is more toward the dessert end of the spectrum with a swirl of sweet cream on top, and feels classy when enjoyed in their subtle neo-noir interior. 

The Hideout also gets points as a daytime-dark bar (so dark, in fact, that their tagline is “it’s dark in here”); their EM is aces and includes cognac and their house amaro blend. 

Firn in Pioneer Square made our patios list and has four special martinis on the menu. I’m a sucker for cute stemware and a skylight. 

Lola’s Espresso Martini is my white whale. It comes highly recommended and sounds like the Bugatti of EMs with a toasted marshmallow (!) on top. Reader, I did not get to try this. I went downtown not realizing that it was peak FIFA. My friend and fellow EM-thusiast, Chris, did take it for a spin, however, and thoughtfully sent notes: “Sophisticated, slightly bitter and herbaceous, delicious, but maybe not my everyday EM. The marshmallow delivers!” Chris is better at this than I am.

Roquette is another perfect indoor Summer vibe (dark, with palm trees painted on the back wall). They make theirs with Licor 43 and Amontillado, which tasted kind of soft and odd in an exciting way. 

Sabine CAFÉ & BAR in Ballard was a dream for an early happy hour in their idyllic atrium. The Espresso Martini is exactly what you want—not too sweet, classic, no bells or whistles, 10 bucks. 

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