Barker Espresso Martini Comes to Rockaway

By Katie McFadden

Chill. Shake. Pour! Espresso martinis have given a shot of energy into the alcoholic beverage industry in recent years, making it a high contender on the top 10 cocktail list in America. And Phillipe Roederer, a Rockaway homeowner, and fashion photographer and TV personality, Nigel Barker, best known for being an “America’s Next Top Model” judge, have come up with the perfect recipe to bring the espresso martini home for you to simply shake and pour yourself, saving you, and bartenders, the hassle of mixing ingredients, and ending up with a product that leaves you saying, “Wow!” The Barker Company’s Espresso Martini and Cappuccino pre-batch solutions are now available in Rockaway, with a chance to try it yourself this Saturday, August 9, at Liquor Wine Warehouse.

Made with 100% Colombian espresso with chocolatey notes, six-time distilled, gluten-free corn-based vodka, caramelized brown sugar, other natural premium ingredients, and even with that satisfying crema head, Barker Company’s Espresso Martini brings quality to every sip. And this 20% ABV martini comes with convenience, packaged in cans, various bottle sizes including 350 and 700 ml, and even a 1.75L tap box, so simply chill, shake and pour into your desired glass.

Some may prefer the lighter version, that looks more like a cup of coffee with cream. But according to Roederer, that’s no longer called an espresso martini. “A lot of bartenders are using Bailey’s to get the cream look right, but if you add milk to your coffee, it’s not espresso anymore. It’s a cappuccino or latte,” he said. So he and Barker came up with an option for those as well, being the first company to roll out a pre-made Cappuccino Martini with 16% alcohol. What’s the secret? A cream liqueur made with 20% dairy from Wisconsin.

If your curiosity is piqued, you’ll be able to try it for yourself this Saturday at Liquor Wine Warehouse, the first local liquor store to offer The Barker Company’s products, which have become a quick top selling bartender-quality product across New York and other states. Roederer will be on hand himself at the store, located at 113-19 Beach Channel Drive, from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. to help serve up free samples of both the Espresso Martini and Cappuccino Martini.

Phillipe Roederer had been coming to Rockaway since the 1990s and after marrying into a third-generation Rockaway family, he and his wife purchased a home in Rockaway Park. He entered the beverage business right out of college, becoming Eastern Division Manager for Clicquot champagne for nine years. He also served as CEO of water company Voss for eight years, worked with Remy Cointreau, and did consulting for brands like Illegal Mezcal, but he long had a desire to create his own brand, with some help.

So with his expertise in the beverage industry, he turned to longtime celebrity friend, Nigel Barker, at a time when Barker put the camera down and had a little more time on his hands. “Our kids went to school together, so we knew each other for a long time,” Roederer said. “During Covid, he started a podcast on cocktail culture, called The Shaken and Stirred Show. He did about 130 episodes, but once Covid was over and everyone had to go back to work, his podcast started fading away. So I reached out to him and said I always wanted to create a brand and you’re the perfect partner. You have a passion for cocktails, you come from the entertainment world, but I can teach you my world, and I think we’d work well together,” Roederer told Barker. Barker was on board.

Next came a concept. “Nigel had mentioned that a lot of women on his podcast kept complaining that they couldn’t get a good espresso martini in a can or bottle. When we started, the espresso martini wasn’t even in the top 10 cocktails, but this late winter, it was announced as number two after margaritas. It’s here to stay, and it’s gaining popularity. It’s also the hardest cocktail to make and bartenders hate to make it because it takes a long time and never comes out the same. So we started thinking about how we need to approach this concept to make a shelf-stable espresso martini,” Roederer said.

That would lead to a two-year process beginning in 2022, that involved sampling 77 different coffees from around the world for six months, until they found the perfect Colombian coffee. Then it took another 12 months of figuring out how to make the product shelf stable. And another six to perfect the crema top.

The Barker Company launched their finished product in September 2024, and according to Roederer, it’s been a smashing hit. They initially launched in New York, Massachusetts, Georgia, Tennessee, Colorado and Michigan, and it is now available in 21 markets.

For more information, check out www.barkermartinis.com or @thebarkerco on Instagram.