Alton Brown's Take On The Espresso Martini Features One Unique Liquor

Television personality, self-made food scientist, and recipe developer Alton Brown's website is an informational goldmine, containing seemingly everything from hidden gem recipes and holiday survival guides to cooking videos and piping hot takes. One of his most controversial opinions? An indelible loathing for the immensely popular and currently ever-present espresso martini. "I hate espresso martinis with a passion bordering on mania because most (pronounced "all") that I've had suck both as martinis and as espresso," Browns says on his website.

The classic espresso martini, which many bartenders admit they hate to make, is a mix of espresso, vodka, and coffee liqueur. Variations on the espresso martini abound, from swapping in cold brew for espresso for a smooth twist to supplementing the martini's vodka with Guinness Draught. To make their martini stand out from the crowd, many bars and restaurants offer their own further twists on the classic, adding vanilla and cinnamon for a sweet-spicy take or even stronger flavors like orange, hazelnut, or mint.

Brown's version differs enough that he doesn't even call it an espresso martini, instead dubbing it "The Relic." A mix of espresso (or strong coffee), coffee liqueur, and Amaro, his martini draws on another unique liqueur you may never have even heard of: Fernet-Branca. Spicy, herbal, and bitter, Fernet-Branca has a black licorice taste that complements the dark coffee flavors of other espresso martini essentials.

There's a reason you won't often see a bottle of Fernet-Branca on even the most well-stocked bar carts. Its powerful, bitter, almost medicinal taste makes it a challenge for even the most practiced amateur mixologists to master. Fernet-Branca is an Amaro, or an Italian digestif. Invented in Milan by Bernardino Branca in 1845, then manufactured and marketed by his sons, the concoction is a mixture of 27 different herbs and spices (the exact combination of which is only ever known to the company's sitting chairman). When sipped on its own, it features strong earthy notes of herbaceous chamomile, myrrh, and rhubarb. When combined with other flavorful ingredients, however, new tasting notes will appear on the palate.

For Brown's espresso martini riff, he brilliantly brings out the flavor of Fernet-Branca's warming spices, like cinnamon and nutmeg, by pairing the liqueur with orange bitters and Nonino Amaro, which itself has a floral, orange, and caramel flavor. Brown also uses St. George's NOLA coffee liqueur, which has a hint of Madagascar vanilla and helps bring out the sweetness of Fernet-Branca. It should be noted that Brown only uses 4 teaspoons of the liqueur, so tread lightly if you're trying "The Relic" at home.