Can You Order A Caffeine-Free Espresso Martini At A Restaurant?

For the past few years, the espresso martini has been enjoying the most widespread, sustained popularity since its origin story sparked in London in the 1980s. There's no mystery to the drink's appeal — it packs a bit of a boozy punch, but its flavor focus is on roasty espresso and sweet vanilla, all capped off with velvety froth. It's like enjoying your after-dinner coffee and cocktail all in one. 

However, that two-in-one factor that could be a selling point to some is the entire problem with this drink for others. Many of us don't want to consume caffeine in the evening, for fear of not being able to sleep at night. And the specific combination of alcohol and caffeine can be less than stellar for our bodies. So, if you don't want a caffeine fix after dark, does that mean you can't enjoy this delicious, trendy tipple? Not if you know how to hack your order. 

A classic espresso martini shakes up vodka, coffee liqueur, and simple syrup with a shot of espresso. A shot of espresso has about 63 milligrams of caffeine, almost as much as an eight-ounce cup of coffee, which has around 95. Especially if you're at a restaurant, there are probably caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee drinks on the menu, meaning the establishment has decaf coffee. When you order your espresso martini, simply ask for the decaf switch, since they'll have to make the espresso for your drink anyway.

Even if you don't see decaf coffee on the menu, it's worth inquiring — it could be the difference between you enjoying the cocktail or not. Decaf espresso tastes just as good as standard espresso, and you'd be saving yourself a big headache, literally. Both alcohol and caffeine dehydrate our bodies, so combining both doubles the dehydration. The caffeine — and the tasty drink — also might hide how much booze you're getting, encouraging you to have another one or two, all contributing to a nasty hangover.

When you're out somewhere that doesn't have decaf coffee, you might be out of luck for your espresso martini, but you can still scratch that creamy, coffee-flavored cocktail itch. If you're wondering if coffee liqueurs have caffeine, you might be pleasantly surprised at the answers. The major brands pale in comparison to a cup of java in terms of how much caffeine a serving has. For Kahlúa, it's 4.5 milligrams for a 1½-ounce shot. Mr. Black has a bit more, but each 1-ounce shot only has 25% to 40% of an espresso's shot caffeine. So, you can comfortably order a delectable coffee liqueur cocktail without such a buzz. Get a classic white Russian with vodka, cream, and Kahlúa, or a toasted almond, with amaretto, coffee liqueur, and cream. A Jäger café employs Jägermeister, vodka, grenadine, and coffee liqueur, while an old fashioned with Frangelico gives you coffee-adjacent hazelnut notes without even a little caffeine.