Why 2022 is the year of the espresso martini
It might be 2022, but people are still ordering espresso martinis like it’s the 90s.
According to CGA by Nielsen IQ, the coffee-flavored drink has experienced such a resurgence that it has entered the top 10 list of most-ordered cocktails in US bars this year. The espresso martini has even surpassed the classic bourbon-based Manhattan in the top ten.
According to CGA by NielsenIQ, which tracks cocktail sales in US bars, margaritas continue to be the most popular drink in the country.
It’s not just nostalgia espresso martinis’ renaissance. Lisa Hawkins, senior vice president for public affairs at the Distilled Spirits Council, told CNN Business that the “convergence of two major US consumer trends: Americans’ affinity for high-end coffee and cocktail culture” explains why it is experiencing a moment.
“Spirits drinkers are drawn to the cocktail’s simplicity and decadence,” she said. The sophistication of the espresso martini elevates your cocktail experience in a bar or restaurant, and it also makes for an impressive after-dinner drink when entertaining guests at home.
The espresso martini is a mix of vodka, coffee liqueur and espresso. It was reportedly invented in the 1980s in a London bar when a model asked for a drink to “wake me up and f–k me up,” according to its inventor and renowned bartender, Dick Bradsell.
The popularity of espresso martinis has benefited Kahla’s bottom line. Global sales for the Pernod Ricard brand have recently reached a new high, increasing by double digits.
According to Rima Sawaya, the brand director for Kahla, espresso martinis have made the 86-year-old brand more appealing to younger drinkers.
“Consumers are craving anything nostalgic, as evident by the resurgence of trends from the ’80s and ‘90s in fashion, music, and of course, cocktails,” she told CNN Business. She added that the drink has “allowed a new generation of cocktail-curious consumers to taste and experience Kahlúa.”
