The Espresso Martini, Miami Style: Where to Order One and How to Host Your Own Night In
Negroni Week may have just wrapped, but in Miami there is one cocktail that never really goes out of season. The espresso martini has become the city's unofficial nightcap, ordered on Brickell rooftops, shaken with Cuban coffee in Wynwood and served after dinner in the Design District as often as dessert. With cooler evenings finally arriving, it is also the easiest cocktail to bring home.
Here is why the drink fits Miami so well, where to look for a good one around the city, and how to recreate it for a night in with friends.
Why the Espresso Martini Belongs in Miami
Few cities take coffee as seriously as Miami. The cafecito is part of daily life here, passed through ventanitas in Little Havana, shared as a colada at the office and finished in a few quick sips. A cocktail built on strong, sweet espresso was always going to find a home in a city that already runs on it.
The drink also suits the way Miami goes out. Dinner starts late and nights run later, so a cocktail that doubles as a pick-me-up makes sense. Bartenders across the city have leaned into that, swapping in tequila or rum for vodka, adding chocolate or vanilla, and in some cases using Cuban espresso for a sweeter, richer finish.
Where Miami Orders Its Espresso Martinis
Menus change often, so treat these as starting points and ask the bartender what they are pouring that night. For a deeper list of specific bars, Miami New Times has rounded up some of the city's best espresso martinis.
Brickell
Brickell's rooftop and hotel bars are where the espresso martini feels most like a night out. Expect polished, classic versions, often served ice cold in a coupe with three coffee beans on top, and a view that makes the price easier to accept.
Wynwood
Wynwood is where the drink gets playful. This is the neighborhood most likely to hand you a tequila espresso martini, a version made with Cuban coffee, or something with chocolate bitters. Go with an open mind and order what the bartender recommends.
Design District
In the Design District, the espresso martini often arrives at the end of a long dinner. Restaurant bars here tend toward refined takes with house-made syrups and careful balance, the kind of drink that replaces dessert rather than joining it.
Miami Beach
On the beach, the espresso martini is a late-night staple. Hotel lounges and waterfront bars serve both classic and luxury versions, and it is a common order for anyone who wants one more round before the night winds down.
How to Make a Cafecito Espresso Martini at Home
The at-home version is simpler than it looks, and a Cuban coffee twist makes it unmistakably Miami. This makes one cocktail.
You will need:
2 oz vodka (or blanco tequila for a Wynwood-style version)
1 oz freshly brewed espresso or Cuban coffee, cooled for a few minutes
3/4 oz coffee liqueur
1/4 oz simple syrup or demerara syrup (skip it if your Cuban coffee is already sweetened)
Ice and three coffee beans to garnish
Method: Add everything to a shaker filled with ice and shake hard for 15 to 20 seconds. The vigorous shake is what creates the signature foam on top. Strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass and float three coffee beans on the foam.
For a batch, brew the coffee ahead of time and keep it chilled, then shake each drink to order. The foam does not survive sitting in a pitcher, so this is one cocktail worth making fresh.
Host an Espresso Martini Night In
Not every good night in Miami needs a reservation. An espresso martini night at home is an easy way to gather a few friends once the weather cools, and it takes very little planning.
Set up a small bar. Put out the vodka and tequila, a bowl of coffee beans, a couple of shakers and a tray of chilled glasses so guests can take turns playing bartender.
Keep the food simple. Dark chocolate, biscotti, pastelitos from your favorite Cuban bakery and a small cheese board pair well with coffee cocktails and do not need a kitchen full of prep.
Give the night a theme. A dress code makes an at-home evening feel like an event. Ask everyone to come in their most comfortable loungewear, and if you want to lean all the way in, martini pajamas that nod to the drink itself make the theme obvious and the group photos much better.
Set the mood. A playlist, candles and the balcony doors open on a cool evening are all you need. By the second round, nobody will miss the rooftop.
A Cocktail Made for This City
The espresso martini works in Miami for the same reason the cafecito does: it is strong, sweet and meant to be shared. Order one on a rooftop in Brickell, try a Cuban coffee version in Wynwood, then bring the recipe home and pour a round for friends. It might be the best nightcap in the city.