How to Make an Espresso Martini With Tequila

The Tequila Espresso Martini is a riff on the classic vodka-based Espresso Martini. This bittersweet coffee cocktail features rich reposado tequila, a sweet and aromatic liqueur, coffee liqueur, brewed espresso, and a duo of bitters. 

Swapping tequila for vodka in an espresso martini is nothing new. While fans of the agave spirit will often customize the cocktail when ordering, this recipe from Pierce Everett, bartender at the Goldener Hirsch resort in Park City, Utah, builds the drink around tequila. He leans specifically on reposado tequila, an aged agave spirit that has notes of vanilla and toast from the time it spends in barrel. 

Everett’s inclusion of Licor 43, a vanilla-and-citrus-flavored Spanish liqueur, harkens back to another popular coffee cocktail, the Carajillo. A Carajillo is made by combining espresso and Licor 43, and could be considered a lower-ABV alternative to an Espresso Martini. The sweet and fruity notes in Licor 43 play off the caramel-like aromas present in the reposado tequila. 

Everett’s recipe calls for coffee liqueur and brewed espresso in this drink, two of the key ingredients to an Espresso Martini, and he also includes a combination of bitters that add aromatic complexity to the drink. 

Why the Tequila Espresso Martini works

Reposado tequila and coffee are incredibly well matched. The tequila’s nutty, warming notes play off the toasted, fruity qualities in the coffee. The sweeter notes in the Licor 43 balance out some of the bitterness in the espresso and smooth the boozy sting of the tequila. 

Everett pairs vibrant orange bitters with smoky whiskey barrel–aged bitters, which accentuate the flavors in the rest of the cocktail and add aromatic intensity. In lieu of these bitters, two dashes of standard Angostura bitters can be swapped in. A sprinkle of cinnamon for garnish is the perfect finishing touch.