THC Espresso Martini with Ellora (No Alcohol) Recipe

Pull the espresso and let it sit a minute while you measure. A shot that's cooled slightly still foams, and it won't melt the ice before you start shaking.

Add the Ellora, espresso and demerara syrup to a shaker with three 1-inch ice cubes. Shake hard for 12 to 15 seconds. With every espresso martini the foam comes from the crema and the shake, and there's no cream or egg white here to help, so don't go easy.

Double strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass. Let the foam settle for a few seconds, then set three coffee beans on top: health, wealth and happiness, if you believe the tradition.

Demerara syrup: equal parts demerara (or turbinado) sugar and hot water, stirred until the sugar dissolves, cooled, and kept in the refrigerator for a few weeks. The raw sugar brings a little molasses to the coffee and a thicker texture than plain simple syrup, which matters more here than in the vodka version, since alcohol is part of what gives an espresso martini its body. If you only have simple syrup, use it, and start at 0.5 oz / 15 ml because it reads sweeter.

Why 1.5 oz of espresso: a regular espresso martini uses about 1 oz / 30 ml of espresso plus 0.5 oz / 15 ml of coffee liqueur. There's no liqueur in this one, so the espresso carries all of the coffee.

No espresso machine: 1.5 oz / 45 ml of cold brew concentrate. You lose some of the crema, so shake longer, and start the syrup at 0.5 oz / 15 ml since concentrate runs less bitter than a fresh shot.

Dose: 1.5 oz / 45 ml is one serving, 10 mg or 20 mg depending on the bottle. Make them one at a time, not in a pitcher, so nobody loses track. Low and slow, and wait 45 minutes before deciding you need another one. There's a full shot of espresso in this, so it's an after-dinner drink, not a nightcap.

Alcohol version: the espresso martini on vodka, or the tequila espresso martini. Or put 1.5 oz / 45 ml of blanco tequila in for the Ellora here, same syrup, same shake.