Espresso Coffee Martini - an Ancho Reyes Cocktail

This Ancho Reyes cocktail gives a punchy revamp to the classic espresso coffee martini recipe. It's a triple whammy of flavour: coffee, almonds and spice.

Try it with a slice of Mexican mocha cake.

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Welcome to my Christmas Gift Guide Part 1, which is all about drinks. (Don't miss part 2 which is all about Christmas food gifts.

Heading up the drinks section of this guide is this beautiful espresso coffee martini recipe. But this is no ordinary espresso martini. I discovered Ancho Reyes liqueur this summer, and have been desperate to create an Ancho Reyes cocktail (available from Amazon).

This is it. If you like, it's a coffee martini livened up with the warming and sweet, yet spicy, flavour profile of Anchos Reyes chilli liqueur.

As usual, I'm going to talk about the ingredients and how to make this cocktail, then I'll change tack and delve into my top picks of gifts on the drinks front for this festive season.

Ingredients notes

Inspired by a coffee cocktail I once tried at Dishoom, I've compiled this Ancho Reyes cocktail with nothing but quality ingredients. The majority of which you will be familiar with already.

I've used both Amaretto and the rather unusual, but deeply delicious, Ancho Reyes liqueur to replace the coffee liqueur in my martini. Ancho Reyes is Mexican chilli liqueur available at well-stocked drink stores and amazon.

This combination is enough to sweeten the drink slightly and the undertones of the almonds and chilli spice are a winning partnership with the rich coffee and smooth vodka. It's a knockout cocktail to get into.

Step by step instructions

Making this Ancho Reyes cocktail could not be easier:

Step 1: Brew your espresso coffee fresh, then pour it, along with the other ingredients, into a cocktail shaker loaded with plenty of ice

Step 2: Secure the lid and shake vigorously for 30-40 seconds until the drink is ice cold and wonderfully frothy

Step 3: Strain the espresso coffee martini into a pretty cocktail glass and garnish with a few coffee beans

Expert tips

This Ancho Reyes cocktail is very easy to make, so there are really only a few tips to give:

• pop your serving glass into the freezer for 15 minutes just before serving. This will allow you to serve your coffee martini deliciously chilled
• hot espresso has a better crema than cold and this crema blends into the drink to give better body to the cocktail. Use freshly brewed espresso if possible
• use plenty of ice to help bring the temperature of the coffee down quickly

Drinks Gifts for Christmas 2020

It's no secret that I love my drinks. Whether that's a cup of tea to keep me going as I take my kids to their various sports clubs, a sneaky cocktail on a Friday night or a chance to taste and compare spirits.

Well, this year I've discovered a few treats in the drinks department and I'm going to tell you all about them.

The Borders Distillery

First up is the selection of spirits available from The Borders Distillery - a relatively new distillery based in Hawick, Scotland. The team there produce some rather fine whisky, vodka and gin. All are available to purchase in their online store.

William Kerr's Gin

Expect subtle aromas and complex flavours of juniper berries, herbs, roots, flowers and spices. It's a smooth gin with great depth. Easy to fall for.

Puffing Billy Steam Vodka

I've used Puffing Billy in this Ancho Reyes cocktail to capitalise on the creamy finish that this barley-based vodka boasts. It's a great balance to the intense coffee flavour and the spicy undertones of this drink.

Lower East Side Whisky

Lower East Side is a blended malt Scotch whisky that is matured in American Oak casks. It's wonderful to sip on as a nightcap. Expect vanilla, almond, and honey notes, with just a hint of smoke.

Union Coffee

When it comes to making a coffee martini I always use freshly brewed espresso for an intense flavour and superior foamy top. I used Union's signature espresso, Revelation, in my Ancho Reyes cocktail for its rich taste with pleasing notes of treacle, chocolate and sweet spice. Gorgeous!

Union Coffee are all about quality, ethically sourced coffee that is roasted to order.

They offer a CoffeeClub subscription service. With this, members can either select what they wish each time or allow the Union Coffee team to surprise them. A subscription is a great option for a unique Christmas gift that can continue to be enjoyed throughout the year.

Rum Advent Calender

After the fun of enjoying a bourbon advent calendar last year, I'm excited to be opening a rum calendar this year. The beauty of these single spirit advent calenders from Drinks by the Dram is that they include a wide range of carefully compiled drams in each one so you can taste the differences between each one - all rums are definitely not equal.

Last year we chose to enjoy the drams of bourbon 2 at a time. Each dram was split into 2 servings, so that we could sample several bourbons side by side and identify the differences. It was quite a delightful and eye-opening experience.

Drinks by the Dram have a great selection of advent calendars to choose from again this year. Offerings include whisky, bourbon, gin, vodka and rum. And for the whisky specialists, calendars include Japanese whisky, Scotch whisky, single cask whisky and an Old & Rare whisky calendar. Phwoar.

Barware from Cellardine

If wine is more your style that this Anchos Reyes cocktail, then Cellardine have some great gift options for your consideration.

I've found their ChillCore 3-in-1 highly useful to chill my white wine quickly as I'm prone to forgetting to put it in the fridge. Be sure to look at their other gift options too. One of my favourites is the Rouge 02, which aerates red wine as it is being poured from the bottle.

Reusable Portable Cups from Klean Kanteen

It's fair to say that there have been massive innovations in the world of reusable drinks cups over the last decade. And it's so good to see.

I've been very impressed with my TKWide mug from Klean Kanteen. This drinks mug is vacuum insulated, so my beverage can stay hot (or cold) for hours (big improvement). And I can seal the lid firmly, so I have no leaks to worry about when I'm on the go.

Kleen Kanteen offers an extensive range of durable drinks bottles and food canisters to make our lives stylishly easier and less reliant on single-use plastic. Hurrah!

More coffee cocktails

Have you made my espresso coffee martini? It's a fantastic introduction to the sweet yet spicy profile available in Ancho Reyes cocktails and I hope you enjoyed it. I'd love it if you left a rating or comment to let me know how you got along.