This Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini is the perfect cocktail for your Thanksgiving dinner or a Halloween party! It uses simple homemade pumpkin spice syrup and the cocktail comes together in just a couple of minutes. Impress your guests with this delicious fall drink and use any leftover syrup for pumpkin spice lattes! Espresso martinis are popular but you rarely see a pumpkin version so this one is sure to be a hit!
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Why You'll Love This Espresso Martini
The ultimate fall cocktail - This espresso martini is inspired by my Pumpkin Spiced Latte and it's the perfect cocktail for your Thanksgiving dinner, Halloween party, or any time you want to make a fun fall drink.
True pumpkin pie flavor - The cocktail is made with homemade pumpkin spice syrup which is made with warming spices and brown sugar for the best fall flavor.
Easy and simple - Espresso martinis are simple but impressive and this pumpkin version is no different. It's a flavor you might not see often so it's always fun to make in the fall, especially when you want to impress your guests with something fun and new. If you prep the syrup ahead, making the cocktail only takes a couple of minutes, it's so easy!
Ingredients
- Espresso - You'll want to use a freshly brewed shot of espresso for the best flavor and the best foam. If you don't have an espresso maker, you can use cold brew or regular brewed coffee instead but it won't have the same strength and probably won't have the same foam on top.
- Vodka - Vodka is what's used in most espresso martinis so that's what I went with for this pumpkin version. See below for some ideas if you want to use a different spirit.
- Coffee liqueur - Kahlua is the most popular coffee liqueur but you can use whichever brand you have on hand.
- Pumpkin spice syrup - I made my own Pumpkin Syrup for this cocktail but you can use any store-bought syrup you like as well. Monin is always my go-to brand. For a homemade version, you'll need brown sugar, pumpkin puree, water, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract.
Variations and Substitutions
- A different spirit - Vodka is a classic for espresso martini but if it's not your favorite, you can use other spirits as well! I love it with dark rum, just like this Rum Espresso Martini, or even tequila like this reader-favorite Tequila Espresso Martini! My bet is it would be delicious with bourbon or whiskey as well!
- Decaf version - Use decaf espresso instead of regular espresso if you want to avoid the caffeine.
- Non-alcoholic version - You can use non-alcoholic spirits that mimic the flavor of vodka and coffee liqueur or you can skip those altogether and add cream or oat creamer instead to make a creamy version of this cocktail.
Step-by-Step Instructions
If you're making your own Pumpkin Pie Spice Syrup, I highly recommend doing this ahead of time. This will save you a ton of time and the cocktail will take you only a couple minutes to make!
Pumpkin Pie Spice Syrup
- Add brown sugar, water, and pumpkin puree to a medium pot on the stove.
Bring the mixture to a simmer while stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. - Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add pumpkin pie spice, stir to mix it in, and simmer for 5 more minutes.
- Take the syrup off the heat, stir in sea salt and vanilla extract, and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer, transfer it to an airtight glass jar, and allow it to cool completely before closing it with a lid.
Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini
- Add a shot of freshly brewed espresso, vodka, coffee liqueur, and pumpkin spice syrup to a cocktail shaker.
- Add a handful of ice, close the shaker, and shake vigorously for 10 seconds until the shaker is very cool and the cocktail is frothy.
- Strain the cocktail into a martini or coupe glass.
- Garnish with 3 coffee beans if desired and enjoy!
Tips for Extra Foam
Good espresso - An espresso martini is only as good as your coffee. Ideally, you want to use a proper espresso machine. I only have a Nespresso maker which works but it won't give you the same beautiful foam as a classic good quality espresso would.
Don't water down your cocktail - If you let your cocktail sit in the cocktail shaker for too long with ice or you use syrup that's too watery, the cocktail will get watered down too much and it will have less foam.
Don't shake it for too long - You need 10 seconds of very vigorous shake to get proper foam. If you shake it for too long, the drink will again get too watered down and the foam will dilute.
Use bigger ice cubes - Using bigger ice cubes that melt slower helps to prevent the drink from getting water down.
Cool down the coffee - Some say only use fresh hot espresso, and some say only use cold espresso. I think it's mostly about how you shake it that determines how good your foam is. I like using a stainless steel shaker and adding the espresso first. That way it cools down a little bit before I add the ice. You can also brew it ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for 15-30 minutes. It is said that espresso gets more bitter if you let it sit for too long.
Dry shake - Dry shake is shaking your cocktail without ice first and then again with ice. For this, it's necessary you cool your espresso down first, you never want to dry shake any hot liquid because the shaker could explode. If you don't have time to cool the espresso, you can do a reverse dry shake - add ice first and then shake again without ice.
Serving Suggestions
The traditional way to serve this cocktail is with three coffee beans on top which is what I did in this recipe to keep it simple.
Alternatively, you can also lightly dust the drink with pumpkin pie spice.
Storing and Make Ahead Options
The cocktail itself has to be made right before serving but I highly recommend preparing the syrup ahead of time. It saves a ton of time and you can whip up the espresso martini in just a couple of minutes!
Fridge: Store the syrup in an airtight glass jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Always use a clean spoon to avoid it spoiling. The syrup may separate as it sits in the fridge, this is ok, just stir it before every use.
Freezer: You can freeze the syrup in a freezer-safe container and store it in the freezer for up to 3-4 months when stored properly. I like using 2-4 serving-size containers so I don't have to defrost all of the syrup at once. Due to the high sugar content, the syrup stays soft even in the freezer and defrosts quickly.
FAQs
It's important to shake the cocktail harder than you would cocktails that don't have foam for 10 seconds so it has time to develop that foam. Ideally, you want to let your espresso cool down a bit so it doesn't water down your drink. If you let everything sit in the shaker for too long, it will get too watered down and the cocktail will have less foam.
More Festive Espresso Martinis
If you like this pumpkin espresso martini and want to try other fall and winter flavors, check out any of the recipes linked below! To see all the latest ones, head over to Cocktail Recipes!
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
- Category: Cocktail
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini is the perfect cocktail for your Thanksgiving dinner or a Halloween party! Impress your guests with this fall classic and use any leftover syrup for pumpkin spice lattes!
Ingredients
Pumpkin Spice Syrup
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- Pinch sea salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini
- 1 shot of freshly brewed espresso
- 1 ½ oz vodka
- ½ oz coffee liqueur (I used Kahlua)
- 1-2 oz Pumpkin Spice Syrup
- Ice
- 3 espresso beans (for garnish, optional)
Instructions
Pumpkin Pie Spice Syrup
- Add brown sugar, water, and pumpkin puree to a medium pot on the stove.
- Bring to a simmer while stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.
- Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add pumpkin pie spice, stir to mix it in, and simmer for 5 more minutes.
- Take the syrup off the heat, stir in sea salt and vanilla extract, and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a large measuring cup or a bowl.
- Transfer to an airtight glass jar and allow to cool completely before closing it with a lid.
- Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini
- Add a shot of freshly brewed espresso, vodka, coffee liqueur, and pumpkin spice syrup to a cocktail shaker.
- Add a handful of ice, close the shaker, and shake vigorously for 10 seconds until the shaker is very cool and the cocktail is frothy.
- Strain the cocktail into a martini or coupe glass and garnish with 3 coffee beans if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Pumpkin Syrup: Store the syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3-4 months. The syrup will naturally separate as it sits in the fridge. This is normal, just stir it before each use.
Mocktail version: You can use non-alcoholic spirits that mimic the flavor of vodka and coffee liqueur or you can skip those altogether and add cream or oat creamer instead to make a creamy version of this cocktail.
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