11 Espresso Martini Mixes, Ranked

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In case you missed it, espresso martinis are having a moment — like, a big moment. They're all I hear anyone talking about nowadays! I certainly can't blame enthusiasts. The drink has been my cocktail of choice since I turned 21, so I'm happy it's getting a little more time in the limelight, with bartenders everywhere coming up with their own creative spins on the drink.

I absolutely love sidling up to a bar and handing over a pretty penny to quench my ever-present espresso martini thirst, but it's admittedly not the most economical way to satisfy a craving. As I've already reviewed several pre-made espresso martinis, the thought occurred to me: Why not test out some mixes as well? That way, I can adjust the amount of alcohol in each martini, which definitely makes hosting easier. 

So, the mission of this piece was to uncover the best espresso martini mix on the market — and, because "best" is too subjective in the food world, I'm compelled to give you an idea of my own preferences first. I like my espresso martinis to be strong on the espresso (obviously), with a hint of chocolate and a very gentle sweetness. One thing that turned me off from a lot of the following mixes was that they're far too saccharine for my taste, so my ranking largely put the sweeter mixes at the bottom and the less sweet mixes at the top. Do with that what you will — if you prefer your espresso martini to also satisfy a sugar craving, shop the options toward the bottom of my list. And with that, let's taste some espresso martinis!

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

I was pretty surprised that Lava's espresso martini mix ended up at the bottom of my list. I've heard a lot of good things about the brand; it even made the top half of our ranking of bloody Mary mixes. Ultimately though, this was far too sweet for my palate, but if that's your thing, go for it!

Besides being way too cloying, the mix called for Kahlúa in addition to vodka, making it the only mix on this list that required two spirits. I appreciated the simplicity of the following mixes, all of which only called for vodka, as I wouldn't expect to add Kahlúa to an espresso martini mix (though it's obviously a great addition). Though the martini does boast a beautiful chocolatey hue and it got a nice head of foam on top, those qualities weren't enough to save it from getting the last-place spot here. 

I won't deny that Finest Call's espresso martini mix also produced an enviable head of foam — one of the best you'll see on this list, in fact. But a good head of foam should serve as an entryway into a stunning drink, and unfortunately, I didn't find that here. There is one very distinct reason I'm ranking it above Lava's, though.

While this espresso martini mix still suffered from being far too sweet for my liking, I did really appreciate how strong the espresso flavor was (and it tasted like good espresso!). Had the company at least cut the sugar in half, I may have really enjoyed this one. Again, if you like your espresso martinis on the sweeter side, you may love this one, especially given that the actual espresso has a good flavor. Alas, I'm not in the sweet-espresso-martini-loving camp. 

Up next is Bittermilk's espresso martini mix, which was still sweeter than I'd prefer, even with the addition of vodka. There are some trade-offs here, and whether you prefer it over the previous (or the next, honestly) will depend on what notes you're craving from this drink.

If your ideal espresso martini is sweet with gentle espresso notes and hints of chocolate, you'll love this one. Indeed, I did like the mild chocolate flavor, as it gave the drink more depth and body, but at the end of the day, it was still too sweet for me. And I like my espresso martinis to have a pretty strong coffee flavor. I can appreciate what this mix offers its intended audience, and it may be a good entry point for those who haven't quite figured out what they enjoy in the cocktail yet. Unfortunately, it wasn't my favorite. 

Maud's Mixers' espresso martini mix comes in powder form and requires you to add water as well as vodka before shaking everything together. Ultimately, that's not that big of a step, so I didn't let it alter the ranking of this mix or any of the other powdered ones I tried. What did push this mix slightly lower was that it was the only mix whose directions instructed the maker to stir rather than shake. 

Obviously, you're not going to get a head of foam on top from stirring the cocktail, and it had a thinner body because it was stirred. Because I made each mix strictly according to the package instructions, the texture was a deterrent here. And again, the mix was sweeter than I'd prefer. However, both the espresso and the alcohol are more prominent than the mix's sweet notes, which I absolutely appreciated. 

Craftmix, another powdered mix, also requires the user to add some water, and I didn't fault it for that — actually, part of me really appreciates the shelf-stability of the powdered mixes. As a girl short on fridge space, anything that can live in my cupboard is very welcome.

This mix is less sweet than all of the previous ones, which endeared me to it quite a bit. That said, I couldn't totally get on board with giving it a higher spot in this ranking. It had a relatively thin mouthfeel and missed the touch of chocolate that I find really covetable in an espresso martini (though I know it's by no means required). The espresso came through well and tasted good, which I found impressive for a powdered mix. Though it wasn't my favorite espresso martini mix, I thought it was a solid step up from some of the mixes that came before it. 

If I had to pick an entry-level martini mix to recommend to a newbie, I'd probably choose Barsmith's. It has a little bit of everything: gentle but present sweetness, a strong espresso flavor, and even slight hints of chocolate. While it wasn't my absolute favorite, I thought it was well deserving of a middling spot on this list.

I most appreciated the neutrality in this mix. Even though I know how I like my espresso martinis, that's not the case with every consumer, and the versatility of this mix really works in its favor. And even though it was still a little sweeter than I'd prefer, I wouldn't turn it down if it was offered to me (though I might add more vodka than recommended!). If you're new to espresso martinis or just want to get a sampling of everything the mixer market has to offer, this would be a good one to add to your list.

I'd assume that pretty much every imbiber is at least somewhat familiar with the Fever-Tree brand by now, even if all you've had is its ginger beer. No shame — that's the only product I'd ever had from the brand before this taste test. Fever-Tree is certainly held in high regard, so it's not surprising to me that its espresso martini mix made the top five on this list (in fact, it got a middle spot when we did a ranking of all of the brand's mixers). 

My first impression of Fever-Tree's espresso martini mix was that it tasted ultra-sophisticated. I can't pinpoint exactly why, but it did endear me to the mix instantly. The only reason it didn't get a higher spot on this list is because it was still sweeter than I prefer; that said, the espresso tasted very high-quality, and the mouthfeel was rich and silky. I got both chocolate and vanilla notes here, and I liked how warm it was compared to most other mixes on the list. This one sets itself apart from the rest in a good way. Still, I enjoyed the following mixes more. 

The final powdered espresso martini mix you'll see on this list earned a whopping fourth place and hails from Gourmet du Village. I'll be totally honest — given the unappealing color of the cocktail, I didn't expect to love it. Fortunately, I was proved wrong. 

I thought this was pretty tasty. It was slightly sweet but not at all too sweet, and it produced a nice, thick head of foam on top. The espresso was strong and I found ample chocolate appeal here. It didn't make the punchiest espresso martini I've ever had, but for what it was, I enjoyed it, and this is another mix that I could easily recommend to newbies. The overall mouthfeel was fairly thin, but the cocktail was rich enough in flavor that I didn't really mind. I did, however, find the following mixes more impressive. 

Zing Zang's packaging brags about its espresso martini from the get-go, and I'll admit, it has every right to call itself "amazing" — after all, it did get a pretty high spot on this list. And look at that foam! This mix produced the best head of foam of the bunch and, admittedly, that did help give it a boost when I was determining the final ranking.

Beyond the impressive foam, this mixer just rides the line of being sweet but not too sweet; had it been a touch sweeter, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it. The balance the company achieved in that regard was pretty impressive, and because it toed that line well, I think this would be a good mix to keep on hand if you need to please a crowd. The espresso flavor is nice and strong, chocolate notes are present, and the resulting cocktail has a medium body. Overall, I really liked this mix. 

It was a close call between this and the next one for the number one spot. I really, really enjoyed Owen's espresso martini mix, but the top-ranked one managed to go above and beyond the rest (you'll learn why in a minute). Still, Owen's was really good, and it impressed my inner espresso martini purist.

I bet you can guess what I'll mention first: This mix was hardly sweet at all, which I instantly loved. Not only did that please the black coffee lover in me, but I also appreciate that it makes the drink customizable to suit each drinker's preference. If you want it sweet, for example, just add some simple syrup. 

Beyond that, the drink had a strong espresso flavor and very identifiable chocolate notes, and I didn't mind that it had a relatively thin mouthfeel because it was pretty rich in flavor. At the end of the day, it could only be usurped by the following option. 

Everyone knows that a pinch of salt can elevate everything from beer to chocolate, so it doesn't come as much of a surprise that the staple seasoning also does wonders for the humble espresso martini. Indeed, I couldn't help but love this mix's gently savory twist. I'd still say it's on the sweeter side, but sea salt provided the perfect foil to that — and if I can be endeared to a sweet espresso martini, you know it has to be good. 

Moreover, the mouthfeel on this bad boy was incredible. The cocktail coated the inside of my mouth with a silky film that left me tasting it long after I'd swallowed. Even though I made the cocktail with equal parts mix and vodka, the vodka wasn't too apparent (in fact, I'd probably add a splash more next time). This mix has me questioning why it's not standard to add a touch of sea salt (or even Maldon salt) to espresso martinis — dear bartenders, I'm going to need you to hop on this train, stat!

To test the espresso martini mixes, I strictly adhered to package instructions and used Sobieski vodka for each cocktail. For shaken cocktails, I used the same amount of ice in each and rinsed the shaker between every use.

Obviously, I ranked them largely according to my personal preferences, and, because I don't like sweet espresso martinis, I put the sweeter choices toward the bottom of my list. Still, I won't call any objectively bad, and if you like your espresso martinis on the sweet side, those are the picks you should shop. I'm also a girl who only drinks black coffee — to each their own!