How to Make a Frozen Espresso Martini

Home Recipes Dishes & Beverages Beverages Cocktail

Cue Hannah Montana, because this summery cocktail is the best of both worlds. The perfect mixture of a classic espresso martini and a frappe, a frozen espresso martini is everything you would want in a happy hour drink during the summer. With a hint of caffeine, blended ice to cool you down and a whole lot of vodka, this cocktail both refreshes you and boosts your energy a bit at the end of a hard work day.

If you don’t spend much time over on TikTok and haven’t seen one of these foodie creators making frozen espresso martinis, we’ll show you exactly how to make it. Make sure you have a high-powered blender and pretty martini glasses or coupes for serving!

Made with four simple ingredients, this blended beverage is delicious enough to finish off in a few gulps—but pace yourself. Brain freezes are a side effect!

Make a few batches of espresso at home, then let it cool before pouring it into silicone ice cube trays to freeze. Making a few trays of espresso cubes makes it easier to be prepared for those moments when you’re ready for a martini, stat.

Measure out your ingredients using a cocktail jigger. (For the frozen cubes, one cubic inch is equivalent to about one ounce). Pour your ingredients into your blender.

Editor’s Tip: If you don’t have a cocktail jigger, two ounces of liquid is pretty much equivalent to 1/4 cup, and one ounce is two tablespoons.

Blend the ingredients until they all come together and espresso cubes are fully crushed.

Pour your drink into a martini glass or coupe, then garnish with a few espresso beans, if desired. Sip and enjoy immediately before it melts!

bhofack2/Getty Images

Wonder why the espresso martini has such a powerful coffee flavor? Because it uses shots of espresso, not iced coffee that has been diluted. While cold brew is stronger than iced coffee at times, the finished product has been diluted with water and won’t have that same strong coffee flavor you’ll desire in your frozen espresso martini.

However, some experts say that cold brew concentrate—the thick syrup-like substance that is made before you dilute it with water—could work well as an espresso substitute in the martini. It tastes just as strong and can work well given that it’s already brewed cold.

Using a cold brew concentrate also means you won’t have to wait long for your espresso to cool and freeze. Instead, use that concentrate and a few ice cubes to give it that frozen consistency, and you’ll have frozen espresso martinis ready to enjoy any time you want them. No prep necessary!

Of course! Traditional vodka is used for classic espresso martinis, but you can give your drink a special twist using flavored vodka. Try caramel, chocolate, butterscotch, raspberry, strawberry or even peppermint.

Can’t find a flavored vodka? Then grab a flavored coffee creamer you love—or try making a batch of homemade coffee creamer to have on hand when 5 o’clock hits!

There’s nothing as exciting as sipping on a frozen cocktail on a hot summery day, and nothing more awful than watching that delicious frozen cocktail melt within minutes of being made. Don’t worry—there’s actually a simple trick to slow down that melting process so you can sip on your frozen espresso martini with ease.

All you’ll need is a little bit of xanthan gum. Yes, the ingredient that is typically used to thicken foods and hold them together (such as gluten-free bread). But it can also be used in frozen drinks so they can keep their hold and won’t separate and melt as quickly in the summer sun. You don’t need much—just 1/8 teaspoon per cocktail should do.