Espresso Yourself at The Banks
The espresso martini has moved from late night guilty pleasure to front-and-center menu mainstay, and Cincinnati is treating it with the respect it deserves. On February 20, 2026, the Espresso Martini Tasting turns The Banks into a three-stop, coffee-and-cocktail crawl built for people who like their nightlife with a little structure and a lot of flavor.
For $20, you get one espresso martini tasting at each participating location, with all proceeds supporting the Ohio River Foundation. The lineup keeps it simple and walkable: E + O Kitchen, Red Leprechaun, and Taste of Belgium. You can start at any location and move through the experience at your own pace from 5:30–8:00 p.m. The ticket and event details live here: Get tickets on Zeffy.
Why This Event Works for Real People With Real Schedules
A lot of “tastings” sound good until you see the logistics. This one is designed like someone actually tried to attend it.
You choose your own starting point. You set your own cadence. You can make it a quick two-hour date night, an after-work meet-up, or a small-group outing that still ends early enough to feel like you won the evening. The published structure also gives you a built-in plan for drift. If one bar looks crowded, you pivot to the next stop and circle back. That flexibility is the difference between a fun crawl and a slow-moving line.
The time window matters, too. 5:30–8:00 p.m. hits the sweet spot where the city is awake, service teams are in rhythm, and guests can still keep the rest of their weekend intact.
What You’re Actually Tasting Across Three Bars
An espresso martini is one drink with a hundred personalities.
Some versions lean into the coffee itself, with roast-forward intensity and a clean finish. Others chase dessert notes, pushing sweetness, vanilla, or chocolate tones. Some emphasize the spirit base and keep the coffee as a sharp, bitter counterpoint. Even the foam has range, from silky crema-like layers to a lighter froth that fades fast.
That is why a three-stop format makes sense. You are not ordering “an espresso martini.” You are tasting three interpretations in a row, close enough together that your palate can compare texture, balance, and finish. This is a flight, just served in cocktail form and built into the neighborhood.
The participating venues make the comparison even more interesting because each one tends to approach food and drink from a different angle.
E + O Kitchen has the kind of setting that often rewards cocktail precision, where the drink is expected to match the polish of the room.
Red Leprechaun brings a pub energy that can favor bolder flavor and a more social atmosphere.
Taste of Belgium operates in that sweet spot between comfort and craft, which can translate into an espresso martini that feels approachable and balanced.
Your ticket explicitly includes tastings at all three: E + O Kitchen, Red Leprechaun, and Taste of Belgium.
The Banks as a Cocktail Classroom
There is an educational angle here that goes beyond “try three drinks.”
Espresso martinis sit at the intersection of coffee technique and bar technique. Coffee matters, because the extraction and concentration determine flavor clarity and bitterness. Bar mechanics matter, because shaking, dilution, and temperature decide whether the drink reads as crisp, creamy, or cloying. A tasting crawl gives you a chance to notice those differences in the moment rather than as a vague memory from three different weekends.
If you are the person in your group who likes to talk about what you’re tasting, this is your night. If you are the person who simply wants something delicious and a good walk between stops, it still delivers.
The Cause Adds Weight Without Adding Pressure
The best charity events integrate the mission cleanly into the experience, and this one does that with a single sentence that carries. All proceeds support the Ohio River Foundation. That matters in a region where the Ohio River is not an abstract concept, it is part of the local identity.
It also means your ticket does more than unlock three tastings. It functions as a small, tangible vote for local environmental stewardship. If you want to learn more about the broader event ecosystem connected to this tasting, the Cincinnati Coffee Festival events hub is here: Cincinnati Coffee Festival events.
What to Expect When You Show Up
Expect a straightforward check-in process tied to your ticket confirmation. Expect a tasting portion at each stop rather than a full-size cocktail. Expect natural variation in pacing depending on when you arrive and how the crowd flows.
Plan to treat the experience like a progressive tasting. Drink water between stops. Eat beforehand or build food into your route, since all three venues can support a snack or meal around the tasting. Bring a valid ID. Use a rideshare or a designated driver if you plan to complete all three samples.
Most importantly, expect to leave with a favorite. The format encourages it. The fun is comparing notes with your group and realizing how much range lives inside one “classic” cocktail.
The Bottom Line
This event makes a persuasive case for the espresso martini as a modern standard: approachable, photogenic, legitimately nuanced, and flexible enough to reflect the style of the bar pouring it. It also respects the guest experience with a simple route, a manageable time window, and a ticket price that feels easy to justify.
If you want a winter-night plan that combines caffeine edge, cocktail craft, and a cause with local relevance, the Espresso Martini Tasting checks every box that matters.
Tickets and details: Espresso Martini Tasting on Zeffy.