How to make a Classic Espresso Martini at home – The inside recipe
We're celebrating VE day with the Classic Espresso Martini. Learn how to make the drink, watch how it's done and enjoy!
Here at The Fizzy Tartè, you may have noticed we have started barrel-aging some of our cocktails, those which you can find under our ‘bartender’s choice’ section of our drinks menu.
Barrel-aged cocktails are becoming more popular, and the reasoning behind that is rather simple: barrel aging allows each component of a cocktail to develop a more balanced flavour and silky feel, resulting in a much deeper cocktail!
As the term suggests, barrel aging is a process of changing the flavour of a product by allowing it to mature in wood over time.
We take the cocktail process from just a few minutes to a period of up to a few months which allows the elements to blend even further. Furthermore, the liquid also absorbs some beautiful aromatic notes from the barrel.
Maturation has a three-step process: Extraction, Subtraction, and Oxygenation.
Below is a good explanation of this from the Diego Bar Academy.
Barrel-Aged Old Fashioned
(Bank Hall sweet mash bourbon, Angostura bitters, and demerara syrup)
We aged these together to create a more rounded flavour that’s balanced and smooth.
Barrel-Aged Negroni
(Sweet vermouth, Campari, and gin)
We age these together for a more balanced mouthfeel, with less of the mouth-watering Campari taste drowning out the gin.
Finally, both of these cocktails are then smoked to finish.
The barrels that we use are American Oak barrels has a medium char, our spirits are able to interact closely with the wood’s characteristics. American white oak gives spirits a hint of vanilla and caramel from the wood sugars.
This may vary, but this is around 3 months (always worth the wait) – However, once they’re ready, we placed the barrel behind our bar at The Fizzy Tarté. We’ll then pour the barrel-aged cocktail straight from the barrel, then stir and pour over ice. Finally, it’s then smoked and presented to you!