With all the misinformation circulating on social media, sometimes a good takedown is needed. From so-called hormone balancing and cortisol face to TikTok’s viral sugar pregnancy test, we love to see health and wellness myths debunked. But we have to draw the line when it comes to espresso martinis.
Recently, the internet’s favorite it-girl drink has been called into question due to concerns about its nutrition. In an anti-ode to the espresso martini, a 2022 article from the NY Post went so far as to say the drink is “ruining your sleep and heart health.” As much as it hurts to hear, is there any merit to these claims?
Espresso martinis are a lot of things. Highly caffeinated, annoying to make . . . but bad for your health? In our experience, this is the drink that wakes you up and gets you tipsy at the same time – kind of like a grown-up vodka redbull (if they tasted like dessert). Our take? Espresso martinis aren’t claiming to be a superfood. It’s no secret that they contain alcohol, caffeine, and sugar – all of which can eventually take a toll on your body. But in the short-term, are espresso martinis actually bad for you? Let’s investigate.
Experts Featured in This Article:
Maddie Pasquariello, MS, RDN, is a registered dietitian nutritionist and founder of Nutrition With Maddie.
Amy Shapiro, MS, RD, CDN, is a registered dietitian as well as the founder and director of Real Nutrition.
Paula Doebrich, RDN, MPH, is a registered dietitian, public health nutritionist, and the founder of Happea Nutrition.
Katie Tomaschko, MS, RDN, CDN, is a mindful eating registered dietitian nutritionist at Hint of Tabasco, LLC.
Holly Klamer, MS, RDN, is a registered dietitian nutritionist with her master’s degrees in nutrition and exercise science.
Eric Ridenour is a former bartender and men’s health expert.
What’s in an Espresso Martini
A traditional espresso martini contains the following, according to Liquor.com:
- 2 ounces vodka
- 1/2 ounce coffee liqueur (usually Kahlúa)
- 1 ounce espresso, freshly brewed (or cold-brew concentrate)
- 1/2 ounce simple syrup
How Much Caffeine Is in an Espresso Martini?
The traditional recipe for an espresso martini uses just one shot (equal to one fluid ounce) of espresso, which contains about 63 mg of caffeine, according to the USDA. (Kahlúa contains just a few milligrams of caffeine per serving, so that’s pretty inconsequential.) For comparison, an eight-ounce cup of brewed coffee contains about 90 mg of caffeine, per the USDA – more than you’ll usually get in an espresso martini.
How Much Alcohol Is in an Espresso Martini?
As for alcohol, espresso martinis generally contain about two ounces of vodka (with 40 percent alcohol) as well as a half-ounce of Kahlúa (with 20 percent alcohol). That’s a little bit more than what the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism considers a single drink (1.5 ounces of a 40-percent-alcohol spirit). However, practically speaking, its alcohol content is about comparable with a heavy pour of wine (eight to nine ounces) and less than most other martinis, which tend to have at least 2.5 ounces of its main spirit alone.
Are Espresso Martinis Bad For You?
The answer is multi-faceted. Here are some of the biggest takeaways, according to experts.
Alcohol Consumption
“Naturally, consuming alcohol, even in moderation, isn’t the most health-promoting thing you can do,” explains Maddie Pasquariello, MS, RDN. Even in moderation, drinking can be very damaging to your health, she says, with links to cardiovascular and digestive health issues, increased risk of certain cancers, and dehydration (to name a few). Although we’ve collectively clung to occasional evidence supporting the benefits of drinking alcohol in moderation, the reality is that it’s just not good for us in any capacity (ugh). “Drinking any amount of alcohol poses a health risk,” Amy Shapiro, MS, RD, CDN, confirms. Indeed, a 2022 study found that any amount of drinking increases your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Caffeine
Caffeine is less of an issue in terms of long-term health implications. In fact, “consuming a few cups of black coffee a day can actually be beneficial to your health,” Pasquariello says, noting that it can fight inflammation, boost metabolism, speed up reaction times, and even improve short-term memory. While some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others (and you should absolutely listen if your doctor has suggested you avoid it entirely), most people can consume up to 400 milligrams per day (roughly four cups of brewed coffee) without any negative effects, says Paula Doebrich, RDN, MPH. That said, if you go over 400mg, you may experience symptoms like increased heart rate, high blood pressure, heartburn, and heart palpitations, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Sleep Disturbances
If you drink an espresso martini (or anything caffeinated, for that matter) later in the day, there’s also a chance it will mess with your sleep. For most people, the level of caffeine in your blood peaks about an hour after you consume it and stays at that level for several hours, according to the Cleveland Clinic. That said, plenty of people consume caffeine in the afternoons or evenings without a problem. “How much coffee affects you will depend on your personal tolerance, which often is genetic. Some people metabolize coffee faster than others,” Doebrich says.
An estimated 10 percent of people are genetically less sensitive to caffeine, meaning they can have caffeine in large amounts or late in the day without it keeping them awake. Plus, research shows that when you consume caffeine regularly, it’s less effective as a stimulant. So for those who drink a few cups of coffee every morning, the espresso in your martini may not do much because of the tolerance you’ve already built up.
The bad news is, even if you can handle the caffeine, alcohol also negatively impacts sleep. “Although alcohol is a depressant and can make you drowsy, it can cause sleep disruptions throughout the night,” says Katie Tomaschko, MS, RDN, CDN. Still, the alcohol in an espresso martini isn’t any more malicious than the alcohol in other cocktails, beer, or wine that you might drink in its place.
Perceived Intoxication
That magical mix of caffeine and alcohol can pose a risk when it comes to your perceived level of intoxication. “One of the biggest problems when mixing alcohol with caffeine is that it makes you feel less intoxicated than you actually are, so you may end up overindulging,” Doebrich says. “This is deceiving because caffeine only counteracts the drowsy effect of alcohol.” In other words, while you may feel less drunk, you’re just as drunk as you would be if you didn’t add the caffeine. Of course, espresso martinis aren’t the only cocktails that pose this risk. “Combining caffeine and alcohol is not a new thing,” Smith says – it’s just something to be mindful of.
Added Sugar
If you like to know the sugar in your drinks (totally fine if you don’t), you should know that espresso martinis have about 11 grams of sugar per cocktail, which can add up quickly, says Holly Klamer, MS, RDN. If you’re just having one espresso martini, don’t sweat it, but drinking lots of sugary drinks can eventually take a toll on your blood sugar and put you at a higher risk of heart disease, Tomaschko says.
Dehydration
As a final note: drinking water is more important than ever when you’re having espresso martinis. “Caffeine is a diuretic and so is alcohol so you run the risk of dehydration, which in itself is unhealthy and can lead to a hangover,” Shapiro says.
The Bottom Line
That might sound like a lot of bad news, but we promise we aren’t saying espresso martinis are the worst. Instead, think of these delicious cocktails as the perfect indulgence. As long as you’re not downing them every night, you’ll probably be just fine. “Is it unhealthy? Of course it is,” says Eric Ridenour – a former bartender himself. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t order one if you want it. “I see no reason why espresso martinis have to be blamed for the downfall of society,” Ridenour says, summing it up beautifully. “Like most everything else, overdoing it is the main concern.”
In the long term, an espresso martini poses similar risks to any other alcoholic drink. In the short-term, it might mess with your sleep (if you’re planning to go to bed, that is) or keep you from realizing exactly how tipsy or drunk you are. With that in mind, for most people, drinking espresso martinis occasionally and in moderation – like you should already be doing with both caffeine and alcohol – is certainly not going to “[ruin] your sleep and heart health” all on its own. “If consumed occasionally, these cocktails can be part of a balanced lifestyle,” Doebrich says.
– Additional reporting by Chandler Plante
Lauren Mazzo was the senior fitness editor at PS. She is a certified personal trainer and fitness nutrition specialist through the American Council on Exercise. Prior to joining PS, she worked for six years as a writer and editor for Shape Magazine covering health, fitness, nutrition, mental health, sex and relationships, beauty, and astrology.
Chandler Plante is an assistant editor for PS Health and Fitness. She has over four years of professional journalism experience, previously working as an editorial assistant for People magazine and contributing to Ladygunn, Millie, and Bustle Digital Group. In her free time, she enjoys finding new ways to rock her 18(!) different eye patches, and making videos about chronic illness, beauty, and disability.
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