You’ll never guess what this bar adds to its Espresso Martini

Repeal 33 bar in Savannah, GA, has an outrageous take on this drink that has blown my mind

By Georgina Torbet Published November 27, 2024

Guinness — George Bakos / Unsplash

I’m no strange to kooky variations on the Espresso Martini. I make mine without vodka, preferring to used spiced rum instead, and I’ve seen varieties using peach liqueur, bourbon, and peanut butter. One of the marks of a great drink is the many ways in which you can vary it to change up its taste and emphasize different flavors within the base ingredients.

But the bar Repeal 33 in Savannah, GA, has a new one on me: an Espresso Martini version that doesn’t use any espresso, but does use Guinness. Yup, Guinness. The beloved Irish stout beer, which certainly has the right black and white look, is being repurposed into a coffee cocktail. As well as the vodka and coffee liqueur you’d expect, the recipe also uses amaretto for sweet nuttiness and vanilla vodka for a hint of bakery flavors, along with a whole ounce of Guinness to add smoothness and create the perfect head to the drink.

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It makes sense for a bar to create a version of the drink that doesn’t require messing around with an espresso machine, and it could be a great choice for making at home if you don’t have fresh coffee on hand either.

Is it madness? Is it genius? I’m going to have to try this recipe for myself to decide.

R33 Espresso Martini

R33 Espresso Martini — Repeal 33

Recipe by Charlie Pitts

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Vodka
1 oz espresso liqueur
.25 oz Amaretto
0.5 oz Vanilla Vodka
1 oz Guinness
Espresso beans to garnish

Method:

In a cocktail shaker, add vodka, espresso liqueur, Amaretto, Vanilla Vodka, Guinness. Slowly add ice to the shaker. Shake vigorously until foamy. Double strain into martini glass. Garnish with 3 espresso beans.

Georgina Torbet

Georgina Torbet is a cocktail enthusiast based in Berlin, with an ever-growing gin collection and a love for trying out new…

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