Espresso martinis from a machine could shake up the cocktail bar scene
They're fast, knocking out a drink in about a quarter of the time it would take a bartender, and consistent. “People can’t say, ‘Mary made [the drink] better than Sally did,'" said one owner.
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The story goes that in 1983, a model walked into Soho Brasserie in London and asked bartender Dick Bradsell for a cocktail that would “wake me up and then [mess] me up.”
Bradsell mixed vodka, espresso, Kahlua liqueur, and simple syrup, and created the espresso martini.
Forty years later, it’s one of the top requests at many cocktail bars.
Popular, yes, but the espresso martini is also a time-suck for those behind the bar — bartenders must assemble the ingredients (including strong coffee or espresso), add the ice, shake vigorously, and strain to create the frothy head. When a gaggle of friends steps up to order a round, even a fast bartender heads into the weeds.
Enter technology.
The new gadget behind a handful of Philadelphia-area bars is the espresso martini machine, which Ketel One’s parent company Diageo offers to local bars and restaurants.
Erin Tate, an owner of the MaGerk’s Pub in Fort Washington, called the decision to order machines “a no-brainer.” She values the speed, as they knock out an espresso martini in about a quarter of the time it takes a bartender, and she appreciates the consistency. “People can’t say, ‘Mary made [the drink] better than Sally did,’” Tate said. “They’re also fun to watch.”
Batching the cocktail is easy. At MaGerk’s, the bartenders add White Horse Coffee Roasters cold-brew concentrate plus Ketel One and Kahlua to the machine, which is about the size of a coffeemaker. The machine chills the ingredients. The bartender sets a martini glass beneath the dispenser and pulls the handle. Nitrogen, which the machine creates, mixes with the spirits, and the finished drink fills the glass in less than 20 seconds. The bartender garnishes with the traditional three coffee beans.
The result: It’s hard to tell the difference between a shaken one and a machine-made one.
The machines, which cost about $1,800, have been found so far at MaGerk’s Pubs (Fort Washington, Horsham, and Exton), and at Figo, Cook & Shaker, Attico, and Live! Casino in Philadelphia, as well as some Chickie’s & Pete’s locations.