The Espresso Martini is the highest-demand coffee cocktail on any bar menu — built for 5-gallon keg service with Top Hat Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate, coffee liqueur, and Top Hat Simple Syrup. The 5% saline solution is the bartender's secret that makes every pour taste rounder and more complex. Pressurized on N₂ for a silky, creamy finish.
Top Hat Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate is purpose-built for this program — high-extraction, low-acid cold brew that holds its coffee character through dilution and service. The saline solution is not optional if you want this to taste like a premium espresso martini rather than a coffee drink. Salt rounds the flavor and brings the sweetness forward in a way that sugar alone can't do.
Batch Method
- Add 5 liters vodka to a clean 5-gallon Cornelius keg.
- Add 2 × 750 ml coffee liqueur.
- Add 4 × 16 oz Top Hat Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate.
- Add 1 qt Top Hat Simple Syrup or Agave Nectar.
- Add 1 oz 5% saline solution.
- Add 2 oz Aztec Chocolate Bitters if using.
- Add 10 qts cold filtered water.
- Seal the keg and shake vigorously side to side for 2 full minutes.
- Pressurize with N₂. See instructions below.
- Refrigerate minimum 12 hours before first service.
- Serve ~6 oz over ice or in a coupe. Garnish with 3 espresso beans and a cacao powder dusting.
- Reshake twice daily to re-integrate ingredients.
Pro move: The 5% saline solution (mix 1 part salt : 19 parts water by weight) is the single most impactful addition to this batch — salt amplifies sweetness and suppresses bitterness without any detectable saltiness. The Aztec Chocolate Bitters adds a subtle chocolate-spice finish that elevates the entire profile. For the full nitro pour experience, add a nitrogen infuser to your draft line.
- Seal the keg and shake vigorously side to side for 2 full minutes.
- Connect gray/silver Cornelius "gas in" connector to GAS IN plug on keg lid.
- Set N₂ regulator to 12–15 psi.
- Pull up pressure release ring 3 times quickly to cycle gas through keg.
- Test flow. Reduce to 10–12 psi if pouring too fast.
- Reshake twice daily before service to re-integrate all ingredients.
Add a nitrogen infuser to your draft line for the creamy, cascading nitro pour that defines the premium Espresso Martini experience. Contact us for nitrogen infuser options →