14 Canned Espresso Martinis, Ranked

When I visit a swanky lounge or an upscale bar with soothing music filling the space, there's only one drink I have on my mind: an espresso martini. As a lover of espresso martinis — and coffee — since my first sip many years ago, I've had great ones, okay ones, and others that were so bad, I left half the drink in the glass. Typically, espresso martinis are a mixture of vodka, espresso, and coffee liqueur. Typically, the espresso will be forward, with vodka hanging in the distance. They tend to be smooth and easy to drink, with only a whisper of bitter flavor. In many ways, it's a drink intended to be the nightcap that so perfectly rounds off the day and just asks to be sipped slowly and enjoyed.

So, when it comes to cocktails from canned drink companies, I have no interest in lowering my expectations. As a former barista, I have a good idea of what I'm looking for: smooth espresso and a little vodka taste. The drinking experience should be easy even when poured into a coupe glass at home while I enjoy the latest episode of "The Bachelorette." My hope is that new espresso martini drinkers and seasoned ones alike will find the perfect canned espresso martini from the collection I've assembled.

Some recommendations are based on first-hand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer/distributor/etc.

When I was first learning to love coffee, I would always go for the hazelnut flavors. Along the way, I tasted some great options — Starbucks' hazelnut syrup, for one — and some not-so-great varieties — lookin' at you, Panera Bread hazelnut coffee. Not to mention, this was the flavor of powdered creamer my mom kept on hand when I was a kid and liked to mix it with milk. So hazelnut and I have a rich history. That's why I felt so disappointed in Tribini's toasted hazelnut espresso martini.

I sampled a few of Tribini's offerings and this was definitely my least favorite of the bunch. It brought to mind those days when I'd sip a hazelnut coffee that tasted too burnt with an overt, intense attempt at flavoring. Similarly, here, I noted a deep, bitter flavor that didn't taste like a roasted hazelnut but more of a burnt hazelnut.

In fact, the aftertaste to this drink was pretty difficult to get past with its lingering burnt flavor that just seemed to overstay its welcome. Truly, of the ones I sampled, this one was hard to get more than a few sips in before I had to ditch it even though I wanted to love all of Tribini's offerings because the packaging is so attractive and sleek. Those who really love a bitter drink may go for it, but that's just not in my palate.

After the miss with Tribini's toasted hazelnut, I wanted to give the brand another chance immediately, so Tribini's double espresso martini was my next try. This one was an improvement, but unfortunately, not as much as I would have hoped.

The double espresso flavor had all of the espresso flavor, but, unfortunately, it tasted like espresso that's sat too long, and this is the primary reason for this drink appearing so low on my list. I'm all too familiar with this flavor as I ran into it frequently as a barista at Starbucks. If a shot ever sat without being mixed for more than a few seconds, the drink takes on a rather bitter flavor, and with even more time, it goes stale, like old coffee. If you've ever worked in a cubicle-clad office with a communal coffee pot, you know this flavor.

If there's one thing you want from a canned cocktail, it's that the drink shouldn't have any kind of a canned drink feel to it. This one really didn't have that quality, and it just tasted old and a little stale.

I'm a total sucker for good packaging, and the Loverboy drinks definitely nailed this aspect. However, the fun lettering and attractive coloring on the can are really where the positive review ends. 

Loverboy's espresso martini is actually more like a wine cocktail, with orange wine acting as the base of the drink, paired with some non-dairy creamer, coffee extract, and maple syrup.

In terms of the taste, it definitely had a coffee-type flavor, but the rest of it certainly wasn't the vodka element I expected with an espresso martini. Also, I picked up a note of fake sweetener, and with me, that's a huge grievance and the reason for the low ranking. A close inspection of the ingredients didn't call out something like sucralose, but I imagine the only place the artificial sweetener can come from is the non-dairy creamer listed.

While I'm a traditionalist at heart, I love a good experiment that works. However, I wasn't the biggest fan of this spin on an espresso martini. The espresso martini aspect of this drink felt very forced.

One of my favorite animals has always been an owl; call it an obsession with Harry Potter or millennial love for when these winged friends appeared on everything, but here we are. So, naturally, I was poised to enjoy the Nightowl drinks. While it wasn't my least favorite that I tried, I didn't enjoy these beverages as much as others.

Though I like tequila in general, the substitution of vodka for tequila in Nightowl's tequila espresso martini just led to a strange arrangement of flavors. That said, it did form an even better foam than its vodka counterpart that actually lasted for some time.

With the tequila, it had a whole different flavor that deftly changed how it felt, and, really, it just doesn't go. It's not necessarily a bad taste, it just felt like an amateur mixologist played a little too hard in the liquor cabinet. It's this bright tequila and deep espresso flavor mixture that ultimately leads to this lower placement. With everything going on, it was difficult to peel the flavors apart. In short, it was confusing.

In the early days of becoming old enough to drink, I did what so many do and just played the field, learning about different cocktails, wines, and beers. Some went down smoother than others, and then, there was the martini. With my first martini, it felt like a slap in the face. The liquor was so incredibly strong that there were faces made. Since then, I've learned which martinis are my style and others that are better appreciated by others. With Tip Top's version of the espresso martini, the flavor elicits the same feeling of being, more or less, punched in the face, and this is my biggest concern with this cocktail.

Simply put, like my earliest martini sipping attempts, Tip Top's canned espresso martini is just too strong to be enjoyable for the quiet, relaxed sipping experience that I like with espresso martinis, hence this one's subpar placement among other varieties. That said, once I grew more accustomed to the flavor and knew what to expect, subsequent sips definitely made this one better, but it still had an incredibly syrupy feel with way too much flavor.

While the tequila iteration of Nightowl's espresso martini felt like an odd mix of ingredients, the vodka version kept it much more traditional with a basic recipe that includes vodka — instead of tequila — as its liquor. With some good shakes, I was delighted to see a nice layer of foam forming, even though it did disparate pretty quickly.

In terms of flavor, it felt very much like an espresso martini from a small-town dive bar, not a swanky lounge or somewhere that specializes in martinis. This is what placed it in the middle of the pack for me. Simply, it was a fine espresso martini. The flavors pulled together in a way that muted them a little bit. In terms of that classic espresso bite, it was pretty subtle here and had a nice chocolatey feel resembling milk chocolate, likely due to the smoothness of the added vanilla flavor.

Golden Rule is another brand that gets an absolute, well, gold star, for its packaging. These little cans are a lovely deep blue with gold accents and a little graphic sign for Tini's Midnight Lounge. Unlike some other brands with products that just couldn't live up to the packaging, this one is much closer.

The first sips revealed a very strong drink, but it quickly started to taste like something of a mocha with the richness of dark chocolate. There was some of the advertised cinnamon flavor to the drink, but it would be stronger with a touch of cinnamon stick added.

While some brands' beverages felt like it came from a dive bar, this one went the other direction and was like an espresso martini that comes from a unique lounge. I really enjoyed how there were some elements that felt hidden before slowly revealing themselves as I drank. The middle-of-the-road ranking has more to do with those tough first sips than anything else.

While some takes on the espresso martini mess with the recipe too much, Post Meridiem The Into the Night Espresso Martini played with the martini in just enough ways to make it delicious and not break too far from the norm. Rather than espresso, this drink contains cold brew, vodka, and coffee liqueur.

For serving, one of the brand's recommendations is to pour it over ice, not in a coupe or martini glass, as you might imagine. I imagine the cold brew element of this drink had everything to do with the ice recommendation, and the cold brew change is what made Post Meridiem's drink a middle-to-the-top tier espresso martini for me. I liked the balance of bitter and smooth here.

Post Meridiem's offering reminded me of that first sip you get from a potent cold brew before any ice melts and mellows it out. The flavor can be a little strong, especially given the dark chocolate notes, but those weren't the only flavors at play here. Owing to the cold brew, there was plenty of smoothness, verging on thickness.

Coffee taste is so very subjective, but if you're a person who enjoys your coffee with just the littlest bit of cream, more or less to just change color, then Tribini's golden espresso martini is perfect. Without the cream, this one would be far too dark of a coffee drink, similar to the other flavors in Tribini's lineup. I ranked this one so much higher than the other two Tribini flavors I tried because the flavors were much more balanced and enjoyable. I should note, however, some bitterness eventually developed in my palate with subsequent sips. I found this fascinating because most of the espresso martinis mellowed out with time, but this one did not.

With a little shake before pouring, you'll end up with a thin layer of what looked like a latte foam on top; not all of the espresso martinis had this, but it's always nice to see. In terms of ingredients, this one also had an interesting sweetener with monk fruit and stevia being the primary sources.

Similar to Post Meridiem's The Into the Night Espresso Martini, Cutwater brought in cold brew coffee for a new, less bitter spin on the espresso-based drink. Like a delicious cold brew you'd get from your favorite coffee shop, the Cutwater canned espresso martini was one of the easier-to-drink beverages on this list. The reason is that there's very little sharpness and it was quite smooth.

I love this as an option for those who may want to try espresso martinis but are nervous about diving it. As I sipped, I imagined I was drinking a whole lot of Hershey chocolate syrup, and it was quite nice. I also thought about enjoying this straight from a can or poured in a glass while sitting around a campfire on a late summer evening. I can easily envision Cutwater's espresso martini among other canned beverages in a shared cooler among friends. My sole concern with this drink is that there's a lot in this can, and I struggle to imagine finishing the whole drink on my own.

Of all the espresso martinis I tried, the award for the smoothest of the bunch goes to Can-Tini's espresso martini. This martini was infused with nitrogen to really bring home that silky feel, and it certainly impacted the feel of the martini, adding so much smoothness. I was also impressed with the lack of bitter flavor. Those who hate the bitterness of some espresso need not worry about that here.

Can-Tini's version was like an iced coffee that had the perfect amount of time to go from bitter to watered down with ice, even though I didn't pour this over ice to prepare it. It's definitely a great option for people who enjoy cocktails but don't want to be smacked in the face with it. It was as if I was drinking the smoothest kiss goodnight — a perfect nightcap for those who just love coffee, regardless of the time of day. The fact that you get this smoothness from a can is truly baffling. For its smoothness and perfect amount of flavor, this one got high marks from me. All of that said, it feels like it is missing just a little bit more of a bite from the vodka.

Perhaps this drink is stretching the canned mold (literally) a bit, but it still opens with a pop tab, so I'm counting it as a canned espresso martini. Honestly, with a name like Buzzballz, I really didn't expect this to be one of my favorite offerings, and I was ready to discount it as a serious contender. That was definitely an incorrect assumption on my part, as one sip of this cocktail quickly proved otherwise.

I will say that the pour does feel a little light on this one, and I'd like it to be a little more substantial, but this drink was easy to sip and one I could enjoy quite a bit. The reason it's one of my favorites is because it reminded me of chocolate milk at times, and I think this one would've went well with a scoop of ice cream in it, to be honest. Call it a play on my favorite dessert: an affogato.

We're getting into some great espresso martini territory from here going forward, and the Moth espresso martini is certainly among the best I tried. One taste of it revealed an ultra-smooth texture despite the alcohol presence. Those who would rather enjoy a drink that tasted nothing like the liquor inside of it will especially enjoy the flavor here. Although it was ice cold, the smoothness felt like how an ultra-rich hot chocolate on a chilly winter day feels.

In addition, I really enjoyed the slightest bit of foam that appeared on top. Many of the canned cocktails seemed to attempt for that factor, but few actually succeeded. I found that this is the kind of drink you want to enjoy slowly, savoring it with close friends and great fun. The only reason this one didn't land my top spot is the design of the can. I'd love it to be a little bit more appealing, as it's quite basic right now. This is a nitpick, but that is literally my only beef with Moth's canned espresso martini.

Though the last few beverages have been great, I really fell in love with the Thomas Ashbourne The After Hours Espresso Martini in only a few sips. I just loved the immediate velvety smoothness of the drink, and the feel of it calls for a lovely, plush lounge where you can just sit back and sink into the drink, appreciating the mouthfeel and flavor.

I found that this drink has a little creamy foam on top once you give it a good shake. This isn't required for greatness, but it's certainly an indicator of a quality espresso martini. For flavor, the vanilla and dark chocolate mixture is a nice departure from several other great brands I tried, and it felt identical to an iced mocha at times. This differentiation is what made it my favorite of all. And best of all, this one — when poured into my glass — gave no indication that it actually came from a can.

In most cases, the directions on the cans called for a nice shaking before pouring it into my serving glass and I did this when it was called for. In each case, I began with a chilled drink that had been in the fridge for at least 12 hours.

While sipping, I took notes about my experience and what the drinks reminded me of. For ranking purposes, I kept track of smoothness or relative bitterness and how much liquor I could taste. In general, the most highly ranked espresso martinis balanced smoothness with just a little bite from espresso and the vodka flavor. The ones that were hardest to enjoy seemed to be overly flavored and a little bit of a punch to the palate.