Post Meridiem Espresso Martini

POST MERIDIEM's Espresso Martini is a canned, pre-mixed coffee cocktail from Georgia, bottled at 17% ABV. That is stronger than most hard seltzers and canned highballs, and closer to a bottled cocktail than a typical single-serve can. Expect the flavor to follow the classic template: roasted, slightly bitter coffee notes over a vodka base, with enough sweetness to round the edges. The reference material describes the base as vodka. It gives no figures for sweetness, coffee origin or roast level, so treat those details as typical of the style, not as measured facts. The cocktail is already blended, so there's no shaker, no espresso machine and no syrup to measure. The can is the whole preparation. Chill it thoroughly, since a coffee cocktail tastes flat and syrupy when it's warm. Some drinkers shake the can gently before opening, because coffee-based mixes can settle. Once it's open you can drink it straight from the can or pour it into a chilled coupe or small rocks glass. Pouring over ice dilutes it slightly, which softens the bitterness and suits a slower drink. A coupe or martini glass keeps it closer to the classic presentation. If you want a foam on top, this is a canned drink, so expect a lighter froth than a shaken one gives. Pouring it with some force into the glass helps. At 17% ABV, one can works as a single serving, closer to a small cocktail than a long drink. It suits the end of a meal, where it can stand in for dessert or follow it. It pairs naturally with chocolate desserts, tiramisu, vanilla ice cream, shortbread and salted nuts. Styles like this also work with a cheese board that includes aged or nutty cheeses. Because it comes ready to pour, it's practical for a dinner party where you'd rather not play bartender, and for a picnic, a cabin weekend or a cooler on a boat. Keep it cold and carry it unopened in an insulated bag.