The EsMa, also known as Espresso Martini, has made great strides in our culture. The abbreviation EsMa is increasingly used, not only by the oat milk elite in Amsterdam, but also by the rest of the country. But where does this tasty drink actually come from?
The Espresso Martini
the Espresso Martini is a mix of espresso, coffee liqueur and vodka. The strange thing is that this cocktail is not made with gin, vermouth and a small olive, which is what the real Martini is made of. The alcoholic drink does owe its name to the Martini because it is served in a Martini glass. The EsMa is certainly at a peak among the younger crowd. What was the vodka tonic for the previous generations, and the vodka red bull for the generation before that, is the Espresso Martini for the young adults who go out today. The popular drink is characterized by placing three coffee beans on top, which symbolize health, wealth and happiness. And we toast to that!
Where does it come from?
Rumor has it that the Espresso Martini owes its popularity to London society shaker Dick Bradsell. When he was behind the bar in the late eighties, and a young woman who later became a famous model asked: “Can you give me a drink that will first wake me up and then fuck me up?” he didn’t hesitate for a moment. He poured a few measures of Wybrowa vodka into a cocktail cup, added ice and sugar syrup, and mixed it with a shot of espresso and Kahlúa liqueur. After pouring this through a sieve into an ice-cold Martini glass, he added three coffee beans for garnish. We will never know whether this story is really true. The vodka-espresso elixir already existed, as a boost for tired catering staff. Other variants also already existed: after all, it is actually just coffee with liqueur. Think of an Irish coffee or a carajillo. But the combination of the cocktail in James Bond’s iconic glass and Bradsell’s sales skills ensured that the EsMa is now the drink of the generation.
Why the name EsMa?
The Yup, Young Urban Professional, is characterized by a certain lifestyle, increasingly common in the Randstad. For example, they drink cappuccinos with oat milk, enjoy new and trendy sports such as padel and enjoy going for walks together since the corona pandemic and associated lockdowns. To make life a little easier, they came up with abbreviations. The cappuccinos with oat milk became ‘oat cappus’, snacks became ‘boplas’, a long-distance walk became a ‘lawa’ and simply enjoying it became ‘hdp’ or ‘heerlie de peerlie’. It is therefore no wonder that the Espresso Martini, just like the Pornstar Martini, also got its own afkos: the ‘EsMa’ and the ‘PoMa’. Drinks that are characteristic of a population group naturally include characteristic words of that same group.
