While a splash of Kahlúa, Baileys, or even RumChata certainly wouldn’t hurt, if you don’t have them, they aren’t totally necessary. Even if you don’t have specialty liqueurs, you can still make this easy coffee martini with nothing but good vodka, splashes of plain chilled coffee, and a little chocolate syrup. Pinches of cinnamon, vanilla, and a little ice will finish the job in this quick pick-me-up coffee martini.

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It’s a great after-dinner cocktail when you need a little something to lift you up, and, well, the hint of chocolate and brownie bites? Always a welcome prescription in this simple yet delicious pick me up drink!

Back when I used to bartend downtown, a friendly couple would always come in on Friday nights and ask for coffee martinis like this and they would always specify, “not creamy.” It was then that realized we always tend to put creamy liqueurs to make the cocktail a touch richer and sweeter…perhaps really more dessert-like (which is sinfully delicious too…)

I liked the idea of a dark-looking coffee-flavored cocktail and so I would just make a simplified version. I’d just stick with the chilled coffee or espresso, good chocolate syrup or simple syrup, and a tasty vodka. Kahlúa would sometimes make an appearance… Back then I used to use Van Gogh’s espresso vodka and it would come out deliciously! While I don’t have that same ingredient, this simple recreated version with Tito’s vodka turned out coffee-licious!

Combine Coffee and Vodka

In a cocktail shaker, combine cooled or room temperature coffee and vodka.

Related: Easy Cinnamon Spice Rum Iced Coffee

add Chocolate and Vanilla

Drizzle a little bit of chocolate sauce into the shaker along with a small splash of vanilla.

Toss in a pinch of cinnamon and fill the shaker the rest of the way with ice. Put the cover on and shake everything together. Shake until chocolate, coffee, flavorings, and ice have all combined perfectly into a tasty chilled martini!

Related: Bright Lemony Rum-Tini

Shake, strain, and pour a Pick Me Up Martini

Grab a martini glass (chilled if desired) and drizzle a little chocolate sauce along the inside of the glass. I used Ghirardelli chocolate sauce which has a deep and rich chocolatey flavor…. If you’re looking for the same rich chocolate-lover’s effect, I seriously recommend Ghirardelli’s Premium chocolate sauce, which is the one I have used here. It adds a decadent and luscious touch to the finished coffee cocktail.

Strain your pick me up martini into the glass and garnish with another little decadent treat, if desired… Brownie bites!

If you’re looking for simple everyday martini glasses with a chic edge of elegance, then you’ve gotta get in on this set! This set of martini glasses is perfect for pouring and sipping fun cocktails, plus they’ll make a must-have sophisticated addition to your barware. Don’t forget fun cocktail skewers for those brownie bites too!

Make the sweetest garnish

l actually had a few extra brownies left from the last batch I baked, so I cubed up a few and skewered them…

l like to quickly roll a few of the brownie cubes in cocoa powder to give it a cocoa-dusted look. This is the sweet finishing touch for our pick me up coffee martini! Use your own brownies or store bought! If you don’t like to skewer them, serve them on the side as more of a desserty-type touch for with your pick me up cocktail…

There’s almost always good leftover coffee here in the house since I run on a constant coffee IV drip that helps me keep up with my two boys… I’ll usually make a quick rounds of iced coffee with bits of vanilla and splashes of coconut milk…. But, every now and then, I think back to that nice couple at the restaurant and get romanced into shaking up one of these sweet & easy pick me up coffee cocktails.

If you don’t want it as boozy, tone it down by doing 1 1/2 oz of vodka instead of 2. It’s also pretty good even if you grab a rocks glass and drizzle with chocolate. Strain the cocktail into your rocks glass over fresh ice. Serve it how you’d like it best! Either way, you can’t go wrong with this quick coffee martini recipe made to wake up all your senses! It is especially delicious around the holidays, or Thanksgiving, as an after-dinner or holiday cocktail treat. Serve with a little sweet garnish or even some buttery biscuits or cookies on the side…

How do you like it?

What’s your favorite coffee drink? Maybe you’d like to drizzle in a little caramel instead of chocolate sauce? Maybe you like your coffee cocktails on the creamy side! I gotta say, I love every version! I like the idea of a boozy coffee drink, so, this one is right up my alley… If you try any coffee cocktails or after-dinner drinks like this, let me know in the comments below so we say ‘Cheers!’ to your favorite pick-ME-up treat!

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