I don’t know about you, but this Café con Leche Martini is giving me life right now. Bold espresso and three types of alcohol come together to create this bombshell of a cocktail.
Anyone that knows me knows I’m a coffee addict. If you utter the word “coffee,” I want it. I read the word “coffee,” and I have to make it. Don’t let me smell the aroma of coffee being brewed because then I’m going to get some. Coffee isn’t confined to the morning hours, either. I mean, not for me, it isn’t. I can and will drink coffee at any hour of the day. So, why not get creative and craft a cocktail that features it? Why not indeed, dear one. Why not indeed.
What is Café con Leche?
Café con leche (coffee with milk) is a way of life in many Hispanic cultures. There’s a whole mood associated with it. You can’t go to someone’s house and not have them ask you, “¿Quieres café?”
As a host, you’re culturally obligated to offer your guests coffee. Heck! When we were living in Germany, even my non-Hispanic friends expected my offer of café con leche. It’s just a ritual that demonstrates your hospitality.
Bold, espresso-like coffee and steamed milk are combined to create this communal beverage. Usually, there’s a whole process that goes into its making. For me, I always slowly heat half-and-half before frothing it with a milk frother. Like me, some folks still brew their coffee the old-fashioned way: with a colador, which is basically a sock attached to a handle. The leche and strong brew combine to create this wonderment of libations. It gets sweetened to taste by the drinker and sipped languidly in the sala (or living room) while the latest gossip is dispensed. Even ardent drinkers of black coffee can’t resist when offered a mug.
In short, café con leche is a drinkable act of affection.
What is a Café con Leche Martini?
So if café con leche is a tenderness, a café con leche martini is a passionate love affair. Instead of being dull by offering you only one type of alcohol, I’m mixing up three. It says a lot about Hector and me that we were arguing about whether or not three different liquors were enough alcohol. Don’t judge us, but we thought a little more would be okay. Then we said, “You know, people don’t need to have cocktails that taste super boozy. Slightly boozy is okay.” Pray for us and our livers, my friend.
Anywho. A typical martini is made with gin. Vodka martinis are now famous, so I take advantage of that. This martini includes vodka, coffee liqueur, and rum. The hilarity of my and Hector’s conversation is found in that we argued that coffee liqueur isn’t “real” alcohol. Hector claims that’s just a creamer. Thank him for his service- this is the result of 26 years in the Army, folks.
The base flavors in this café con leche martini, though, are espresso and half-and-half.
What kind of alcohol is used in a Café con Leche Martini?
And none of that matters because all we want is the recipe.
Since this is a café drink, you need brewed espresso. We can discuss the particulars of the espresso you use later. Also, whipped cream vodka makes for a creamy-tasting martini without muddling it with too much dairy. Finally, Kahlúa, dark rum, and heavy cream round out this drink.
The dark rum and whipped cream vodka are optional in this recipe. I mean, both are written into it for a reason, but if you don’t have either, you can replace the whipped cream vodka and dark rum with regular vodka and rum. The end result is a harsher flavor, but not an unappealing one.
What is Kahlúa?
Kahlúa is a mellow coffee liqueur and rum mix with a bitter espresso flavor tempered by chestnutty undertones. It’s the classic mix-in found in White Russian cocktails and the boring espresso martini; some folks even add Kahlúa to their morning coffee. I don’t judge, but that’s a bit much for me.
Instead, measure out 2 ounces of Kahlúa into a cocktail shaker filled with a handful of ice.
What’s the best rum to use in this Café con Leche Martini?
Rum is an optional ingredient, but I appreciate the depth that the added dark liquor gives to the martini. You can most certainly omit it, but I recommend trying it at least once. Use a dark rum or a spiced rum here. I always have Bacardí or Captain Morgan on hand, so that’s what I use.
You know another rum that is great in this? A coffee-flavored one. Now the Kahlúa does have rum in it; however, it’s cut with that coffee liqueur, which mellows it out. Kraken and Kōloa both make really fantastic rums that are coffee-flavored.
Whichever rum you decide to use, pour it into the cocktail shaker with the Kahlúa.
What kind of vodka should I use in my Martini?
Because vodka is the primary liquor in most martinis that aren’t gin martinis, you want one that is pretty tasty on its own. While I don’t consider the flavored Smirnoff to be top-shelf, they’re perfect for mixing into martinis. I need help creating a faux-creamy flavor without the risk of curdling the milk fat in any dairy I need to achieve it. A whipped cream vodka stands in perfectly. I add this to the cocktail shaker as well.
Other options for your vodka are an unflavored one, caramel, cinnamon, or orange.
Do I have to use espresso in this martini?
Because coffee flavor is so important in this café con leche martini, I want you to use a quality brew. I was shocked to discover that my everyday cup of joe is considered “strong” to most, if not all, of my friends. Obviously, I like my coffee pretty potent. My regular might be your double shot of espresso.
Here, though, I want you to brew a pretty strong cup of coffee. Use a Cuban or Puerto Rican coffee if you can. You can also use an instant espresso to make a cup quickly. Then, add it to the cocktail shaker with the other liquor.
Cap the shaker, then shake it vigorously until the outside completely frosts over. That frost tells you that everything inside the shaker is as cold as it’s going to get.
What’s the “leche” in this Café con Leche Martini?
Pour the mixture into martini glasses. Because it’s coffee and because you shook it so much, it will have a crema, or foam, on its surface. That’s actually a good thing.
Invert a spoon over the center of the martini glass and pour the cream over it. This is “floating” a liquid into your drink. Usually, this is a technique to layer drinks. Here, you do it to create separation between the heavier cream and the lighter liquor. It’s not a must, but it does make for a cool visual effect in the glass.
Speaking of the cream’s fat, you can replace the heavy cream with half-and-half if you’re watching your calories. Milk in this recipe gets “lost in the sauce,” so to speak, so I avoid it. Another option to replace the heavy cream? Your favorite coffee creamer works well. Try to stick with one that compliments the coffee theme we’ve created.
How do I garnish the Martini?
I garnish my café con leche quite minimally. By that I mean, I only garnish the glass itself.
I dip the rim of my glasses into white melting wafers. Separately, I combine sparkling sugar and instant espresso in a shallow bowl or plate. I then dip the sticky rim of my glasses into the sugar-coffee mixture and allow it to set up until firm. Take care not to pour the cocktail onto the edge if you use the instant espresso, or it will become muddy.
Once the martini is in the glass, I sprinkle more of the sugar-coffee mix onto the surface. Some folks like to float espresso-covered coffee beans on their cocktail. Me personally? Nope. Not a huge fan of having to circumnavigate choking hazards when liquor is in play.
What type of glass is best for serving a martini?
When it comes to the type of glass you serve your martini in, you need to think about efficiency and quality. While some people (Hector) can drink their cocktails out of anything- and I do mean anything- the classic martini glass design serves two purposes: first and foremost, it keeps your chilled cocktail from getting warm while you hold it. Second, it allows your café con leche martini a chance to breathe.
Check out the bones of the glass. That very long stem gives you something, besides the bowl, to hold on to. Holding onto the bowl warms up the cocktail, which, I mean, isn’t the worst thing that can happen; but, why do we need to settle for tepid cocktails? We don’t.
The “breathing” of the martini is more for the gin-based drink, but it also benefits us here. The wider the mouth or top of the glass is, the more oxygen hits it before it gets to your mouth. It just allows you to taste more of what’s in your drink.
All around, the martini glass allows for a better drinking experience. But, can you drink this cocktail out of a red Solo cup? Yes. Yes, you can. But please don’t. I’ve taught you better than that.
I don’t have one of the liquors. Can I replace it with another one?
You know I try to cover all of the bases when I hand over any recipe. This one is no exception. Check out these swaps and subs in the event your home bar is running low:
Vodka Alternatives:
- plain vodka
- gin
- Irish whiskey
- white rum
Dark Rum Alternatives:
- mezcal
- white rum
- bourbon
- Irish whiskey
Kahlúa Alternatives:
- Tia Maria
- Sheridan’s Coffee Liqueur
- crème de cacao
- Bailey’s Irish creme
OR just double up on one of the other liquors already in the martini.
Can I make this Café con Leche Martini for a crowd?
You know I always look out for the homies. We all need to enjoy a drinkie-poo from time to time. Here’s the skinny to make this Café con Leche for your crew:
- Quadruple or Sextuple (is that a word?) the ingredients.
- Combine everything except the cream in a large pitcher. NO ICE. Don’t add the ice to the base liquor mix, as it will water it down.
- Store the liquor base in the fridge. Make sure to chill the martini base thoroughly because you aren’t going to add ice.
- When you’re ready to serve, transfer the liquor base to a cute bottle and nestle the bottle into an ice bucket.
- Nestle a bottle of heavy cream next to it.
- Allow your guests to pour their martini base into their glasses and float the cream to their liking.
Can I store leftover Martini?
You can store the café con leche martini base, but not the martini with the cream added. To me, the cream becomes curdled the longer it sits in the alcohol. It isn’t unsafe to drink, just unsightly. That said, it is easy to store the base because you float the cream after pouring it anyway. So, just pop any remaining base into a jar or pitcher and keep it in the fridge. The base is safe in the refrigerator for quite a while, actually: up to a week.
If you’re not into coffee-based libations like this Café con Leche Martini, try out my Caramel Apple Vodka Martinis instead.
Be sure to pin this symbol of boozy hospitality to your cocktail boards. The next time you gather together, be sure to ask, “¿Quieres café?” Your guests are going to be so happy you did.
Café con Leche Martini
at Sense & EdibilityEquipment
- cocktail shaker
- Martini Glasses
Ingredients
- 3 ounces espresso cooled
- 2 ounces Kahlúa
- 1 ounce whipped cream vodka
- 1/2 ounce dark rum
- 1/4 cup heavy cream to float
Optional Garnish
- ground espresso
- sanding sugar
Instructions
- Garnish the rim of your glasses as desired or not at all. Set the glasses aside while you mix the martini.
Mix the Café Base
- Fill a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice.
- Add the cooled espresso, Kahlúa, whipped cream vodka, and dark rum to the ice-filled shaker. Cap the shaker and shake vigorously until the outside completely frosts over.
- Pour the mixture into your martini glasses. Take care not to pour the cocktail onto the edge if you use the instant espresso, or it will become muddy.
Float the Leche
- Invert a spoon over the center of the martini glass. Carefully pour the cream over the inverted spoon to float the heavier cream and create a cool visual effect in the glass.
- Once the martini has been poured, sprinkle instant espresso flakes, sanding sugar, or mix of both onto its surface. Serve and enjoy your Café con Leche responsibly.
Notes
Swaps for the liquor used in this recipe:
Vodka Alternatives:
- plain vodka
- gin
- Irish whiskey
- white rum
Dark Rum Alternatives:
- mezcal
- white rum
- bourbon
- Irish whiskey
Kahlúa Alternatives:
- Tia Maria
- Sheridan's Coffee Liqueur
- crème de cacao
- Bailey's Irish Cream
Substitutions for the Heavy Cream:
- Replace the heavy cream with half-and-half, evaporated milk, or your favorite coffee creamer. Try to stick with a creamer that compliments the coffee flavor of the martini.
Pitcher Café con Leche Martinis:
- Quadruple or Sextuple the ingredients.
- Combine everything except the ice and cream in a large pitcher.
- Store the liquor base in the fridge. Make sure to chill the martini base thoroughly.
- When you're ready to serve, transfer the liquor base to a cute bottle and nestle the bottle into an ice bucket.
- Nestle a bottle of heavy cream next to it.
- Allow your guests to pour their martini base into their glasses and float the cream to their liking.
The leche is my favorite part!!
The espresso is mine, but, I’m biased. =o)
YUM! You had me when I saw the espresso and martini combo! This looks absolutely delicious!
It is pretty good, if I say so myself. Come back and tell me what you think.
oh my gosh this looks so good!!!! I need to try making this. thanks for sharing
Let me know what you think, Bella!
You have all the best recipes! I could drink this all day every day. Not sure I’d get anything done. Love it!
I agree, Natalie. It can be distracting.