Coffee Mocktails
An espresso martini without the vodka, built so it does not taste like something is missing. The trick is replacing what the alcohol was doing rather than just leaving it out.
At a glance
- Espresso : mixer
- 1:1
- Active time
- 4 min
- Total time
- 5 min
- Makes
- 1 coupe
- Serve
- Strained, no ice
- Kit
- Cocktail shaker
Ingredients
Note: Most bitters are alcohol based, though the quantity is tiny. Alcohol-free bitters exist and are worth having if the drink needs to be genuinely zero proof.
Method
-
Chill the glass
Coupe in the freezer for ten minutes. The drink is served without ice, so the glass keeps it cold.
Chill 10 minutes -
Combine everything hot
Pull the espresso into the shaker and add the orgeat, cold brew, bitters and salt. Stir while it is still hot so the syrup combines fully.
-
Shake hard for twenty seconds
Ice in, sealed, and shake vigorously until the shaker frosts. Twenty seconds, longer than you would shake a drink with alcohol in it.
Alcohol helps a foam form and hold. Without it you have to build the foam entirely through effort, so shake harder and longer.
Shake 20 seconds -
Double strain and garnish
Strain through a fine mesh into the chilled coupe. Three coffee beans on the foam, as tradition demands.
Why this works
Taking the alcohol out of a cocktail removes four things at once, and a good mocktail has to put each of them back.
Body. Ethanol is viscous and gives a drink weight on the tongue. Orgeat is the usual replacement because it is a thick almond syrup that carries real texture, and it brings a nuttiness that suits coffee. A rich sugar syrup, two parts sugar to one of water, does part of the same job.
Length. Alcohol evaporates slowly on the palate and carries flavour with it, which is why a cocktail lingers. Bitters and salt extend the finish; salt in particular suppresses bitterness and makes the sweetness and the coffee last longer.
Foam. Ethanol lowers surface tension and helps a shaken drink hold its head. Without it, the foam has to come from the espresso's own surfactants alone, so this needs a harder and longer shake than the alcoholic version. The shakerato page covers that mechanism.
Bitterness and complexity. Coffee supplies plenty of its own, which is why coffee is one of the easiest bases for a serious zero-proof drink. A gin mocktail has a much harder problem.
The traditional three beans on an espresso martini are said to represent health, wealth and happiness. The garnish is older than the drink, which dates to London in the 1980s.
Variations
- Coffee tonic: a double shot over ice and tonic, which is its own drink.
- Cold brew negroni: cold brew, non-alcoholic bitter aperitif and orange, stirred over a big cube.
- Affogato float: cold brew over vanilla gelato in a tall glass.
- Spiced: a cinnamon stick and a star anise steeped in the orgeat for a day.
Made it?
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Questions
Why does my mocktail taste thin?
You removed the alcohol without replacing the body it was providing. Orgeat or a rich two-to-one sugar syrup brings back the viscosity, and a pinch of salt lengthens the finish.
Why will it not foam?
Alcohol lowers surface tension and helps a head form, so without it you need more mechanical work. Shake for twenty seconds rather than ten, and make sure the espresso is fresh, since crema-forming compounds fade quickly.
Are bitters alcohol free?
Most are not, although a couple of dashes adds a negligible amount. Alcohol-free bitters are widely available and worth using if the drink needs to be strictly zero proof, for instance in pregnancy or for someone in recovery.
Can I use instant coffee?
It works for flavour but gives a much thinner foam, since the shake relies on fresh espresso surfactants. Strong cold brew concentrate is a better substitute if you have no machine.