Mocha Martini

Coffee lovers and chocolate lovers alike can’t get enough of this rich, decadent mocha martini! Vodka, espresso, crème de cacao, and chocolate and coffee liqueurs come together to make a caffeinated cocktail that will remind you of your favorite coffee shop drink. Now let’s show you how to shake up this elegant yet simple coffee cocktail.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Makes for an impressive cocktail without requiring any advanced bartending skills. 
• Perfect as a special occasion, brunch, or dessert cocktail — Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, or Christmas are all wonderful times to serve this luscious mocha martini.
• Puts a sweeter twist on a classic espresso martini with that mocha flavor.
• Comes with a batching option to make hosting smooth and simple.

Related: For more caffeinated cocktails, you’ll also love my pumpkin pie espresso martini and Baileys Irish coffee martini. 

Ingredients

Vodka: As always, I recommend using the best vodka for your budget for the smoothest drinking experience. For some recommendations, check out this list of favorite vodkas.

Espresso: Fresh, real espresso is best for the deepest, richest flavor and texture. While you could use cold brew or strong coffee in a pinch, you’ll miss out on the creamy topping that only comes from espresso.

Coffee liqueur: Kahlua is my go-to coffee liqueur, but you can use any brand you’d like. A homemade coffee liqueur is also a lovely option, and my friend Susannah at Feast + West has a great recipe. 

Chocolate liqueur: It’s not a mocha martini without chocolate, and this gives us a wonderfully chocolatey flavor with a creamy texture. 

White crème de cacao: This is a chocolate-bean flavored liqueur, which is available in two varieties: dark and white. And, yes, it’s different from our chocolate liqueur, which has a more syrupy texture and sweeter flavor. I can typically find this by other schnapps varieties.

Heavy cream: A touch of cream gives us that luscious texture you’d expect in a nice mocha from your favorite coffee shop.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: A mocha martini calls for a decadent garnish, so let’s start by swirling our martini glass onto a shallow plate of chocolate sauce and then dipping the rim onto another small plate of grated chocolate (photo 1). For now, we set aside the garnished glass.

Of course, this step is optional, but it makes for such a fun addition.

Step 2: Before mixing the drink, we brew some fresh espresso (photo 2).

Step 3: Now we add the espresso, vodka, coffee liqueur, chocolate liqueur, white crème de cacao, heavy cream, and ice to a cocktail shaker (photo 3).

Step 4: From here, we pop on the top and shake the drink vigorously (photo 4). A good 30 seconds is perfect.

Step 5: We remove the cocktail shaker top and strain that delicious mocha martini into our glass (photo 5).

For an extra garnish, you can dust the drink with some cocoa powder or chocolate shavings and place a few espresso beans in the center of the foamy top layer.

How to Make a Pitcher of Mocha Martinis

Want a hack for easy entertaining? Make this into a mocha martini pitcher recipe! While I prefer to make this martini fresh, sometimes you don’t want to be bothered making drink by drink when hosting.

• Stir together the ingredients without ice in a pitcher and store the pitcher covered in the refrigerator for a few hours.
• When it’s serving time, pour two drinks into a cocktail shaker and shake as originally directed to get the proper aeration, dilution, and frothy finish. 
• Strain, sip, and enjoy those velvety chocolate and coffee notes.

Recipe FAQs

Variations and Substitutions

• Try a flavored vodka: Strawberry, raspberry, or coconut vodka are my favorites with chocolate and coffee. A vanilla vodka would also work well.
• Use a dark or white chocolate liqueur: This recipe calls for the milk chocolate variety, but you can absolutely use white or dark chocolate liqueur.
• Substitute vodka for another spirit: Bourbon or dark rum would be my alternative choices.
• Add some cocoa bitters: This adds an even deeper cocoa flavor. 

Expert Tips

Give yourself a few extra minutes: The espresso needs to chill in the freezer for about five to 10 minutes to prevent the ice from excessive melting. 

Chill your martini glasses: Place the garnished martini glasses in the freezer when you chill the espresso and take them out before straining.

Use the proper shaking technique: To get enough force to create a frothy topping, hold the cocktail shaker at an angle and use both hands to shake. Make sure you shake for no fewer than 30 seconds. 

Add a foaming agent if using coffee: Coffee won’t get you that creamy topping, but you can use a foaming agent, such as an egg white or 2 tablespoons aquafaba. You can even buy a bottled foaming agent from Fee Brothers.

Perfect Pairing

This mocha martini is meant for a rich, chocolate dessert, and I have just the recipe for you: this whiskey chocolate cake with Baileys mousse. The sweet whiskey is perfect with those roasted coffee notes.

I also happen to think this is the perfect brunch cocktail with its espresso shot, so try these Nutella-banana muffins. Banana is delicious with coffee and chocolate.

For the perfect coffee shop-inspired cocktail, sip on this mocha martini. You’ll love how those rich coffee and chocolate flavors come together to make one irresistible cocktail.

Cheers!

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