An espresso martini is a very basic cocktail: Its recipe requires only vodka, coffee liqueur, coffee, and some syrup to sweeten it. Although there are almost endless ways you can experiment with your espresso martini, affogato martinis take the drink one step further by adding gelato to the concoction, and these flavors of gelato can elevate your martini.

The culinary team of Maialino in New York City prepares a multitude of "affogato martinis" in their kitchen, finding that vanilla gelato complements the strong taste of coffee. In contrast, the coffee's sharp flavor helps play off the vanilla's sweetness, but if you think vanilla is too plain, you can also try gelato flavors like salted caramel, cherry, or even coffee.

You're free to mix and match whatever kind of gelato you want in your martini, but you might also prefer using your favorite brand of ice cream. Although gelato is made with a focus on milk rather than cream, a higher amount of sugar, and somewhat lower air content than ice cream, there isn't any reason you can't use regular ice cream in your affogato or espresso martini.