Collins Seasalt Espresso Marti

Collins Seasalt Espresso Marti is an Esplanda mixer made for the espresso martini, a drink built on coffee, sweetness and a little salt. The name points to a coffee-forward base with a sea salt note. The listing gives no ingredient list, strength or volume, so check the label for those. Expect roasted, bittersweet coffee up front, a rounded sweetness behind it, and a light saline edge that tightens the finish. Salt is a common trick in coffee drinks because it softens bitterness and makes the sweetness taste less sugary. Mixers in this style usually go into a shaker with vodka and ice. A typical starting point is two parts vodka to one part mixer. Taste the first drink, then adjust the ratio, because the label's recommended pour is the best guide to how concentrated this one is. Shake hard for ten to fifteen seconds with plenty of ice. The vigorous shake aerates the coffee and creates the pale foam that crowns the drink, and a short shake leaves it thin. Double-strain into a chilled glass to keep ice shards out of the foam. Aged rum, tequila reposado or a coffee liqueur can replace some or all of the vodka for a deeper, warmer result. A small pinch of extra salt on the foam is worth trying only after you have tasted the mixer, since it may already be salted enough. Serve it in a chilled coupe or a stemmed martini glass, which keeps the drink cold without dilution and shows off the foam. A nick-and-nora works well for smaller pours. Three coffee beans floated on the foam are the traditional garnish. Because the profile leans bittersweet and savory-sweet, it pairs naturally with dark chocolate, salted caramel desserts, shortbread, tiramisu and nutty pastries. It suits the end of a meal better than the start.