Melbourne is a unique oasis of character, culture and exceptional coffee. Whether you’re sipping a brew South of the Yarra in a converted warehouse, or enjoying the company and a few beers with our bearded brethren in Brunswick, the many faces of Melbourne’s modern cafe and bar culture are the antithesis of a cultural wasteland. But what happens to a city when their two great loves, namely coffee and booze are merged together? The Mr Blacks Festival of the Espresso Martini, of course. Could there be anything more Melbourne?

Earlier this year, Mr Blacks - one of Australia’s leading coffee liqueur producers - announced Sydney as the location for the first ever dedicated espresso martini festival this country has seen. Whether it’s because Sydneysiders can’t be trusted after 9pm, or because a Melbournians love of coffee know no bounds, eventually the festival found its way to the Meat Market in North Melbourne.

Originally slated for a single day, the event quickly sold out - leaving organisers to hastily add a second day to the festival schedule. Then of course, the second day sold out (are you really surprised) - to which the response was to add one final day to the festival menu.

Needless to say the third day also sold out in minutes.  

"The people of Melbourne have a love affair with coffee, and the espresso martini is now one of the highest selling cocktails on lists everywhere. So we thought, why not come together to celebrate this shared love with the perfect pairing of coffee and booze, "Mr Black founder and festival organiser Tom Baker, when speaking about the success of the Festival.

One thing Melbourne isn’t known for is conformity, and the humble espresso martini is no exception. The flexibility of the cocktail has encouraged experimentation to keep it on-trend, with some Melbourne bars taking it beyond the original recipe by adding their unique twist on the cult classic.

The easiest tweak is a change in spirit base, other than the original vodka, such as rum or tequila. At Eau De Vie, you can choose between a tequila, vodka or rum versions mixed with coffee and maple syrup under a mousse foam which is nitro-frozen theatrically at the table. While at Mototaxi, Their Blanco Long Cô looks like a regular cafe latte - yet in reality it's a tequila-doused take on Vietnamese iced coffee. The drink is made rich with infusions of vanilla and chocolate plus a dollop of condensed milk. It goes down like a dream but be warned; the El Jimador makes this one a potent pick-me-up.

If you’re in the CBD, and looking for action, head straight to Fall From Grace - you won’t regret it. They offer two distinct takes on the classic cocktail - the Saving Grace and their intoxicating Walking in the Dark. Firstly the Saving grace ramps up the espresso martini stakes with the always welcome addition of salted caramel plus a side of popcorn with each serving. Because, you know… Melbourne. On the other hand, their Walking in the Dark is a concoction of coffee-infused Lillet Rose and pistachio-infused cognac which arrives in a cloud of smoke. Buckle up with that one!

Other high-end bars use pretty rare and exotic techniques to dress up the drink. The Dining Hall for instance has developed a version that “pairs a chilled base – Illy espresso liqueur, Chambord, and Woodford Reserve bourbon, blended together and barrel-aged – with a hot foam flavour, and bitter white chocolate floating on top”.  

Diving a little deeper into the murky world of the espresso martini however, uncovers an ugly truth behind the rise of Melbourne’s cocktail du jour… it’s extremely profitable for business.

You can understand why some venues love to promote their version of a classic - it’s cheap to make, and Melbourne's great coffee can mask some of the, ahh how should I say this... lower end liqueurs which disreputable bars may add to their prized asset. That said - if there is one thing Melbourne can teach us it’s that a quality product will always find an audience, no matter the stigma or cost. This is the big lesson to come from Melbourne’s latest love affair - that no matter the social stigma, potential hangover or inflated price tag, espresso martini’s are delicious.

And that’s always enough in my book.