I'm all about discovering new alcoholic tipples, especially as the days get warmer and the evenings get longer.
I've always been a huge fan of the 'espresso martini' because of its refreshing caffeine kick, but I can never usually be bothered to make one myself. To make an espresso martini from scratch, you need a coffee liqueur like Kahlúa and vodka.
A one litre bottle of Smirnoff vodka from Tesco currently costs £22.50, with a bottle of Kahlúa priced at £15.50. That, combined with coffee beans and espresso coffee and you're looking at £40+ to make your cocktail.
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I for one am incredibly lazy when it comes to creating cocktails, and if you, like me, just want a simple solution – Amazon may have the answer. I decided to try the Conker Coffee Liqueur on a whim, and I honestly haven't looked back since.
I wasn't entirely sure what to expect with what is essentially a cocktail in a bottle, but I was pleasantly surprised. Priced at £28 for a bottle, the liqueur promises a 'sweet coffee flavour' with 'vanilla and caramel'.
The product description on Amazon states that the cocktail mix can be drank on its own over ice, or as a replacement in cocktails. Made with a combination of Brazilian and Ethiopian coffee beans, the aesthetics of the bottle alone was enough to intrigue me.
After recently purchasing some cute espresso martini glasses from Morrisons, I thought I'd be brave and try it neat with some ice. Firstly, before we get onto the flavour, we need to talk about the size of the bottle.
At 70cl, I was super impressed with how much espresso martini mix you actually get. Considering you really don't need a lot for a small glass, it's safe to say this bottle is definitely going to last me a while.
The taste
I couldn't believe how incredibly easy it was to make this dreamy cocktail. After mixing 70ml of liqueur and 30ml of water together with some ice and giving it a good shake – my cocktail was ready.
The amount of foam on top of the martini was also quite impressive, although it wasn't as frothy as some I've had in the past. Nevertheless, for a drink at home, it did the job and it tasted unreal too.
It was actually a little more bitter than I imagined, after reading the product description I was expecting ultra sweetness, but it was the perfect blend of both. At 22%, this stuff is also pretty strong, so remember to drink responsibly.
The winning factor for me though, was how quickly it took to make. I've always considered an espresso martini as a fancy drink you can only get in a bar, because I've always been too lazy to make the real deal at home.
The verdict
If you're a big fan of an espresso martini like me, I'd highly recommend giving this nifty product a go. Not only does it make your life easier, but it tastes amazing too.
It offers the perfect blend of sweetness combined with the bitter coffee, and is very moreish indeed. Although I forgot to get coffee beans to place onto the top of mine, I still think it looked pretty good considering.
You can purchase the Conker Coffee Liqueur here for £28.74.
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