Got Milk?

I hope not. I'm a firm believer that martinis should never be made with milk or half & half. The main reason is three-fold: 1) I feel like I am drinking dessert at happy hour. 2) By the time you reach the bottom of the glass, the creamy mixture gets coagulated. And 3) all those calories! Unfortunately, two of my favorite martinis -- the Espressotini and the Key Lime Martini -- are often hard to come by minus the milk factor, but they do exist! Here are two of my favorite no-milk martini recipes.

Espressotini
Courtesy of Starbucks
1 part Starbucks Coffee Liqueur
1 1/2 parts Absolut Vanil

Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with three coffee beans.

Key Lime Martini
Courtesy of Absolut
4 parts Absolut Vanil
1 part Lime Juice
1 part Simple Syrup
Lemon wedge

Chill a cocktail glass with ice or in the freezer. Pour absolut vanilia, lime juice and simple syrup into a shaker. Fill the shaker with ice cubes and shake it until the shaker is very cold. Empty the cocktail glass from ice and water. Strain the drink into the cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon wedge.