Behind the Espresso Patronum Cocktail
Served at Bayonet in Birmingham, AL, the Espresso Patronum looks like vodka but drinks like your boldest espresso martini.
Photos by Andrew Lee
Instead of the usual dark, heavy appearance, this crystal-clear cocktail feels crisp and refined. Its “invisible” look comes from Wheatley Vodka fat-washed with Non-Fiction Coffee—a method that extracts deep coffee flavor while stripping away bitterness and sediment. The result is all the rich, familiar notes of an espresso martini, minus the sugary weight, making it a perfect pick for anyone who prefers their cocktails on the cleaner side. Finished with just a touch of simple syrup, the Espresso Patronum is sleek, intriguing, and a little magical. We caught up with Dylan Lunsford, Bar Director at Bayonet, to learn more about the cocktail that’s basically wearing an invisibility cloak (any Harry Potter fans?!).
What inspired you to reimagine the espresso martini into a crystal-clear version?
The inspiration for this cocktail truly started the day I was asked to join the opening team at Bayonet. I’ve looked up to Chef Rob for years and always admired what that team has been able to accomplish at Helen. I jumped in headfirst in an attempt to prove that I belonged with them at Bayonet. The kitchen was taking such a unique approach to the food it only made sense to do the same with our cocktail menu. Espresso Martinis are still very popular in Birmingham. I knew it would be a drink people used to measure us against other spots in town. So, it had to be good, but more importantly I wanted it to be different than any other one in town. I figured what better way to stand out than completely changing the color and giving guests something they hadn’t even thought was an option.
Can you walk us through the process of fat-washing Wheatley Vodka with Non-Fiction Coffee?
We start with fresh ground dark roast Non-Fiction Coffee (a local roaster) mixed with a blend of sunflower and coconut oils. That gets mixed together really well, then is vacuum sealed. That same vacuum sealer has an infusion cycle, that uses alternating vacuum and pressure to rapidly infuse the oil. We run a handful of cycles to make sure there’s a concentrated coffee flavor in the oil. That infused oil then gets triple filtered to remove as much of the coffee grounds as possible. Once we have the oil filtered, we blend in the Wheatley Vodka, this mix also gets vacuum sealed and runs through the same infusion cycle. Once fully infused, we transfer it into a Cambro and place it in the freezer overnight. That allows the oil to solidify and separate from the vodka. The oil puck gets removed and the vodka is filtered to remove any small bits of oil, leaving us with coffee flavor vodka.
How do guests react when they first see the Espresso Patronum?
Most guests are taken back at first, a fair amount of them are confused and think that we have brought them the wrong cocktail. It definitely evokes a lot of intrigue and questions. The phone cameras come out and some giddiness follows. That gives way to excitement and guests become eager to try something new.
The name of the cocktail is fun and playful. How did that come about?
I enjoy using puns and pop culture references in cocktail names. My girlfriend and I were sitting at the dinner table one night early on in the R&D process when she brought up the idea of using a Harry Potter spell as the name. We started googling spell names and stumbled on ‘Expecto Patronum’, changing ‘Expecto’ to ‘Espresso’ seemed like a no brainer. I still wanted the name to make sense though, so I read up on what the spell was cast for. A Patronas is a protection charm that can take the shape of an animal, typically an animal that the caster has the most affinity for, it all clicked. Espresso Martini fans are fans through and through, it’s often their favorite cocktail. It was a perfect fit, and the name was set right there.
How does this cocktail reflect Bayonet’s overall approach to cocktails and hospitality?
Bayonet is driven by innovation and creativity, using advanced techniques to craft a dynamic dining experience. This cocktail does all of that in one swoop. It’s polished, vibrant, and edgy. It pushes guests’ idea of what an Espresso Martini can be and provides something unique and unexpected that they can only get at Bayonet.
If someone wanted to try creating a version of this at home, what tips would you give them?
Make sure you pick a neutral oil without much of its own flavor. Also, pick a high quality dark roast coffee with a course grind. Don’t over-infuse, the coffee oil can get bitter quick if you push it too far. Most importantly, be patient with the filtering process. Filtering takes the most time of any step in the process. Start with a course filter and work your way down to one that is finer. Take some time and let the oil do its thing.
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