Reports

Espresso Martini Trends for 2027

By EveryShelf · November 2026 · 5 minute read

How popular is the espresso martini going into 2027?

It is a top five cocktail by dollar velocity in the average US outlet and still growing. The measures agree on direction:

The story behind the numbers is a drink that moved from cocktail bars into casual dining and chains without losing its price. Union's data shows its average price sits just below the negroni, Manhattan and mezcalita and stayed roughly flat over 24 months while other top sellers rose 2 to 14%. Mr Black's co founder Tom Baker described the shift as "less but better," with cocktails replacing light beer as the default social drink, and Mr Black alone drove a third of US coffee liqueur retail growth after its 2017 US launch (NIQ CGA, via Modern Retail).

Who orders the espresso martini, and when?

Women, after dinner, on Saturday. Union's order data from high volume US venues gives the clearest profile:

• Women who order cocktails are 59% more likely than men to order an espresso martini.
• It beats average cocktail sales by 8 percentage points during the dinner daypart and by 10 points on Saturdays.
• In the 9pm hour it holds more than 13% of all cocktails and mixed shots sold, the dessert and second round slot.
• It is nearly as popular as the old fashioned in the venues Union tracks.

NIQ's seasonal data adds the winter angle: 47% of US on premise consumers name coffee based cocktails as a winter favorite, alongside hot cocktails (42%) and indulgent creamy drinks (37%), while fruity and sweet cocktails lose about half their appeal between summer and winter. That makes the espresso martini one of the few cocktails with a natural Q4 and Q1 peak, which is useful for a brand planning its feature calendar.

On venue type, the drink is now strongest where it was once absent. CGA's 2024 channel data had it climbing fastest in casual dining and fine dining, and operators like Espresso Martini Fest (Mr Black and Diageo) have run it across more than 220 bars in 14 US cities.

What are the espresso martini riffs to watch in 2027?

The classic build (vodka, coffee liqueur, fresh espresso, a touch of sugar) is now the base for a family of serves, and NIQ found 47% of US consumers interested in flavor twists on classic cocktails.

• Tequila espresso martini. The crossover NIQ singled out for 2026, and the one riff that lets a tequila brand onto the espresso martini line. Reposado and cristalino expressions suit it best.
• Peanut butter and dessert builds. Peanut butter, salted caramel, tiramisu and Biscoff variations appear on casual dining menus as a dessert replacement; Datassential flags the mudslide (down 17%) as a candidate for revival on the same effect.
• Mini and flight formats. NIQ lists mini cocktails, half pours and flights as moving from niche to menu feature in 2026, and 42% of consumers say they are likely to try a mini. A 3.5 oz espresso martini is a natural second round.
• The canned espresso martini. Now common behind volume bars for speed and consistency, and in retail as the RTD category grows 16.4% a year. Operators tell Bar & Restaurant that canned espresso martinis solve the fresh espresso bottleneck on a Saturday night.
• Cold brew and nitro builds. Cold brew concentrate replaces the espresso shot in bars without a machine, which is most of them, and nitro poured versions are a draft cocktail play.

Which brands win the espresso martini call?

The espresso martini is unusual among top cocktails because it carries two brand calls, the vodka and the coffee liqueur, and the second one is where the fight is.

Coffee liqueur. Kahlúa (Pernod Ricard) is the volume incumbent and the default well pour. Mr Black (Diageo, acquired 2022) built the premium call by going door to door to hundreds of New York bars from 2017, targeting award winning bartenders first, and now drives a third of category retail growth. Borghetti, Tia Maria, St George NOLA and Conker are the specialist alternatives bartenders reach for. A brand entering this line needs a bartender program before it needs a billboard.

Vodka. The drink gave vodka a growth cocktail for the first time in years. Grey Goose reports rising vodka sales on the back of it, Ketel One and Tito's hold the call in volume accounts, and Absolut's Espresso Martini campaigns have made it the brand's lead serve. Flavored vodka (vanilla, espresso) is preferred by nearly one in three cocktail drinkers (CGA), which opens a second route onto the build.

RTD and cold brew. Canned espresso martinis from On The Rocks (Suntory), Cutwater, Mr Black and a wave of craft producers are growing with the RTD category, and cold brew brands are selling concentrate into bars as the "espresso" in the build.

What should a brand do with the espresso martini in 2027?

Get named in the build. A listing that reads "espresso martini" is a well pour; one that reads "Mr Black espresso martini" is a brand placement, and 53% of guests would pay more for it. Every visit to an account with the drink on the menu should carry a build card with the brand named and a reason it is better (fresher coffee, lower sugar, a tequila twist).

Win the 9pm hour and the winter. The drink peaks after dinner and in cold months. Feature programs, table tents and server incentives belong in Q4 and Q1, not summer.

Train the people who make it. 79% of US bartenders suggest specific drinks every shift and 91% favor brands they were trained on. The espresso martini is a technique drink (a proper shake, a real crema), which makes a 20 minute training the most valuable activation a coffee liqueur or vodka brand can run. Track which accounts received the training and whether the listing and depletions followed; that is the loop EveryShelf's Tastings product closes.