The espresso martini, once written off as a '90s throwback, is now being called a modern classic. A September 10, 2026 Washingtonian report found DC bars still selling it in huge numbers, with one co-owner estimating it's about 30% of the cocktails he clears on Saturday nights. For holiday hosts, that makes it an easy crowd-pleaser for a Christmas martini party.
Five years after it came back, the espresso martini still isn't going anywhere. A new report from Washingtonian says the coffee-and-vodka cocktail has quietly made the jump from trend to classic, and that has real implications for anyone planning a holiday party this year.
What's trending
In a September 10, 2026 piece titled "The Espresso Martini Is Here to Stay," Washingtonian's Jessica Sidman checked in with bars and restaurants across Washington, DC, and found the drink as popular as ever.
At The Commodore near Dupont Circle, co-owner Rob Van de Graaff told the magazine espresso martinis make up "a solid 30 percent of the glasses I'm clearing off the tables" on Saturday nights. "What we all thought was going to be a bad drink has stuck around," he said.
JP Sabatier, co-owner of Jane Jane and Bar Betsie, put it more simply: "Oh, I guess that this is just the new normal." The piece also points to Cana, Mercy Me, La' Shukran and Nina May as bars where the drink keeps showing up on menus, often in new variations.
Why it's resonating
The report credits a few things with the drink's staying power: steady demand from millennials, the appeal of caffeine and alcohol in one glass (a drink that wakes you up rather than winding you down), DC's work-hard culture, and bartenders who keep reinventing it with their own twists.
That last point matters for home entertaining. When a cocktail is flexible enough for bartenders to riff on, it's flexible enough for a home host too. Swap in vanilla vodka, add a splash of gingerbread syrup or dust the top with cinnamon, and the espresso martini turns seasonal without any extra equipment.
Bringing the trend home for the holidays
The espresso martini's staying power is a big part of why the martini party has become a go-to holiday format. Instead of a full bar, the host shakes three or four martinis, puts out small bites and lets the glassware do the decorating. An espresso martini also works well late in the evening, when guests want one more round with a little energy.
Hosts leaning into the theme are setting the tone from the first message. Pink, soft-glam Christmas martini party invitations have become a popular choice. One example is this Christmas Martini Party Invitation, Pink Christmas Cocktail Party Invite, an editable design that also includes a matching martini menu sign, so an espresso martini can sit right alongside the Christmas-themed options. A printed menu on the drinks table saves the host from answering "what's in this?" all night.
A simple holiday espresso martini lineup for a home party might look like this:
- Classic espresso martini: vodka, coffee liqueur, fresh espresso, three coffee beans on top
- Gingerbread espresso martini: vanilla vodka, gingerbread syrup, espresso, a dusting of cinnamon
- Candy cane martini: vanilla vodka, white chocolate and a crushed peppermint rim, for guests who'd rather skip the caffeine
The bottom line
The espresso martini has outlasted the skeptics, and bartenders now treat it as a fixture rather than a fad. For anyone hosting this December, that makes it one of the safest bets on the drinks menu. Expect to see it shaken at a lot of Christmas parties this year.