SINGAPORE – For pop culture lovers everywhere, May 4 is synonymous with Star Wars (1977 to 2019).

“May the Fourth be with you” is a play on the famous phrase in the space-fantasy saga: “May the Force be with you.”

But for cocktail history nerds, May 4 has a different significance, as it is the birth date of the late renowned British bartender, Dick Bradsell.

Bradsell, who died in 2016 at the age of 56, has been credited with reviving London’s cocktail scene in the 1990s. But in 1983, he had already made his mark while working at The Pharmacy bar, where he created his legacy cocktail: the espresso martini.

The apocryphal tale is told of a young model – possibly British supermodel Kate Moss or her compatriot Naomi Campbell – who asked for “something that will wake me up and mess me up”.

In response, Bradsell mixed freshly brewed espresso with vodka and coffee liqueur in a drink he christened the vodka espresso.

The name eventually evolved to “espresso martini”, in homage to the V-shaped stemmed glass in which the cocktail was often served.

Whatever its moniker, the espresso martini has carved its niche in the canon of classic cocktails. It is now one of the top 10 best-selling cocktails in the United States, according to market research firm CGA by NielsenIQ.

If nothing else, the espresso martini is the closest thing many bars have to a dessert cocktail, which is perhaps why it tops my list of favourite libations. 

In fact, a well-made espresso martini shares much in common with one of my indulgences: chocolate. A quality piece of chocolate is rich and dark; equal parts sweet, bitter and strong. An espresso martini should hit all of these notes too.

Many of Singapore’s top bars keep the espresso martini in their core cocktail menus, even as seasonal drinks come and go. Atlas at Parkview Square is my choice spot to sip an espresso martini ($26++), but Jigger & Pony at Amara Hotel comes in a close second ($28++).

Atlas’ beverage director Yana K says: “Coffee’s popularity has soared, and the demand for coffee-related drinks shows no signs of slowing down. This trend is being driven by a growing appreciation for speciality coffee and a wider variety of coffee-based beverages.”

Newer players are also taking care to keep the espresso martini in their arsenal, such as Cat Bite Club in Duxton Road ($25++) and the new highball bar on the ground floor of multi-concept venue White Shades in Boon Tat Street.

Here, owner Bai Jiawei serves a delectable espresso martini using Haku Vodka from Japan, which he says adds a soft, round and subtly sweet taste.

Upstairs, the second-floor cocktail bar also serves espresso martinis, but with two enticing twists. Mr Bai adds a Guinness stout reduction and burnt coconut foam to the three core ingredients of espresso, vodka and coffee liqueur, and dubs his remix Black IIII ($25++).

The two extra ingredients make for a drink that is fuller-bodied and just a touch more complex in both flavour and mouthfeel, compared with the classic version downstairs.

Stout seems to be a popular partner in espresso martini variations, perhaps because its smooth and rich quality is a natural bedfellow for coffee.

Over at craft beer pub The Guild in Keong Saik Road, coffee liqueur is substituted with homemade stout reduction in its Stout Espresso Martini ($26++), resulting in a drink that is light yet still full of the sweet caramel notes characteristic of the original cocktail.

If I get the opportunity to visit Mumbai, I hope to pop by restaurant-bar The Bombay Canteen (thebombaycanteen.com), if only to try its interpretation of the espresso martini (770++ rupees or S$12.50++), which takes inspiration from South Indian filter coffee.

The venue, which was No. 35 in the Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2023 ranking, replaces espresso with a concentrate of Indian filter coffee. 

The drink is served from a keg charged with nitrogen, which gives it a frothy top, similar to that of a signature Indian filter coffee.

But one does not need to leave home, much less Singapore, to enjoy a delicious espresso martini, given its very short and simple ingredient list.

For the vodka component, you cannot go wrong with premium brands such as Grey Goose, Belvedere or Ketel One – all of these will provide a smooth, bracing backbone to any drink, beyond just the espresso martini. 

The trending coffee liqueur of the moment – and the go-to of seemingly every other professional bartender – is Mr Black Coffee Liqueur (from $77, go to online retailers such as liquorbar.sg) from Australia.

This tipple is no white elephant in my own liquor cabinet, and is delicious served on the rocks or used in place of coffee for a boozy take on the affogato.  

I also enjoy Jumping Goat Liqueur from New Zealand, which is essentially vodka infused with cold brew. The brand suggests mixing it with espresso and ice for a quick and easy espresso martini.

Espresso is arguably the trickiest ingredient in this cocktail to get a hold of, unless you have a machine at home or a coffee place a stone’s throw away. But cold brew concentrate – available from various local coffee specialists, such as Cowpresso (cowpressocoffee.sg) – is a decent substitute.

If you need a sweetener, Mr Bai of White Shades recommends brown sugar rather than the usual cocktail go-to of simple syrup, to better complement the dark caramel notes of the other ingredients.

And here is one trick that has been a game-changer for me: Chill your martini glass in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before you shake, pour and serve. This ensures that your espresso martini is ice-cold, which is exactly how it should be.

For a final playful touch, have American pop singer Sabrina Carpenter’s hit song Espresso playing in the background while you enjoy your “me espresso (martini)”. 

• Trending Sips is a new series highlighting the noteworthy beverages of the moment, alcoholic or otherwise.