Woman Orders Espresso Martini At Restaurant. Then She Realizes It Upset The Bartender: ‘Yall Gotta Stop Ordering Espresso Martinis…’

Making the perfect espresso martini isn’t easy. But surely, at the bare minimum, a bartender should at least make an effort, right?

In a viral TikTok that has garnered 361,000 views, user Coope Palmisano (@coope_a_loop) filmed her espresso martini. As she pans the camera to the top of the glass, the lack of foam is very noticeable. The beverage is almost completely flat. Throughout the video, there is also on-screen text that reads, “POV: The bartender has an attitude and her espresso martini comes out like this.”

Accompanying the video is a spooky soundbite of a woman saying, “So what are you gonna say at my funeral now that you’ve killed me? Here lies the body…”

In an Instagram direct message conversation with BroBible, the TikToker said, “We went to that restaurant a week prior (different bartender) and the espresso martini was PHENOMENAL. We went back for happy hour the next week and the bartender was HORRIFIC. An attitude as soon as we sat down and everything was a sarcastic comment about how long she’d been working there and so on. Then she came over with the espresso martini I posted and I was done.”

“I watched her pour the vodka and she must’ve spaced out it was a literal 10 second pour of vodka. Hence why the espresso had no foam it was over powered by vodka. I’m a bartender myself and I would never treat people the way she treated me,” she remarked. “As for the TikTok I had to stop responding to people because they don’t know I’m a bartender they think I’m just an ungrateful customer that has no idea what I’m talking about.”

Do Bartenders Hate Making Espresso Martinis?

Commenters were split. Many pointed out that bartenders dislike making espresso martinis due to the time and effort that goes into preparing them—especially when they don’t have the proper equipment and ingredients at their disposal.

“Y’all gotta stop ordering espresso martinis from bars that don’t have espresso machines and being disappointed by the results,” one said.

A second concurred, writing, “Espresso martinis are so good but unfortunately you need an actual espresso machine to get it done right. I have tried so many different recipes people swear by. They’re all s— you need the actual espresso.”

“As a bartender this is a terrible espresso martini,” a third said. “And they most likely are using cold brew instead of real espresso.”

“I work at a place with ‘bar and grill’ in the name,” a fourth pointed out. “You think I’m gonna serve you a good f—— espresso martini? Get out of my face.”

How Can You Make Your Espresso Martini Foamy?

Clearly, that espresso martini isn’t just a recession indicator: It’s an abomination. But over on Reddit, there’s plenty of tips on how to ensure your espresso martini is as foamy as possible—without the use of whipped cream, of course.

Current and former bartenders swapped tips and tricks on a post on the r/bartenders subreddit.

“Use real, fresh espresso,” one suggested. “And shake harder and longer than normal.”

“If fresh espresso isn’t an option I find those cans of nitro cold brew give a nice foam,” a second replied.

“As someone who also uses cold brew for ‘espresso’ martinis- not all concentrates are made equal,” a third points out.

“Try upping the coffee:water ratio if you’re making it at home, or if you’re buying a premade one try testing out other brands. I’ve definitely noticed some premade concentrates are much less foamy than others.”

A fourth chimed in, saying, “I only have access to cold brew concentrate but use 2 dashes of fee foam from fee brothers.”

Meanwhile, a fifth said, “I use Betters Bitters. It’s a little more expensive but incredible. I never use egg whites anymore because of it. Makes a perfect foam layer. The Fox Club in Nashville uses it for their espresso martini and they’ve become a top-rated cocktail bar nationally. It’s expensive but it can be used for a ton of cocktails before running out.”