With the holidays just around the corner and the cool weather just begging to be enjoyed, there’s nothing better than sharing a delicious new drink with your friends!
Since the holidays are all about indulging your inner kids, why not make some fun holiday drinks?
These delicious and easy peppermint martinis (or “pepperminitis”, if you want to giggle a little bit when serving it to your friends) will be a hit at your next party or get-together.
However, we’re pretty confident that once you’ve made them, you’re going to want to mix them up even if you don’t have a party.
Yep, they’re that good!
Why should I use a martini glass?
Since martinis are meant to be served cold, the long stem of the martini glass ensures that the drink won’t heat up to quickly when you’re holding it.
What’s more, the beautifully sloped design of the glass allows you to layer the ingredients inside and shows off the drink!
The wide rim also helps to showcase the rimmed effect of your holiday martini.
While there’s no strict rule that says that you need to use a martini glass, they’re just so beautiful to look at and the festive colors of this drink will POP!
How to rim a martini glass?
Hold the martini glass gently by the stem and wet the rim completely with whatever liquid you want to use as moistener, such as lime juice or honey.
When the rim is completely moist, touch the rim of the glass to the crushed peppermint candies and twirl it until the whole rim is crusted with the crushed candy.
Can I rim the glasses in advance?
Yes, you can rim the glasses in advance so that it’s a lot easier and quicker when you want to serve the drinks.
When you’re done rimming your martini glasses, simply place them in the fridge to chill until they are ready.
What goes in a peppermint martini?
The basic ingredients of a peppermint martini are vanilla-flavored vodka, a chocolate liqueur, and peppermint schnapps!
Our CookingChew Cooking Tips:
1. Use a food processor
If you want to crush your peppermint candies faster and easier, you can use a food processor.
However, make sure to chill them first so that they grind up finely in your food processor without becoming sticky.
2. Add a splash of Grenadine!
Want to add a little more color to your glass?
Put a few drops of Grenadine into each glass after pouring the martinis in!
The red Grenadine will make your peppermint martini look GORGEOUS.
Be careful when adding Grenadine as Grenadine syrup is extremely sweet.
3. Play with the moistener!
You can use different liquids as a moistener!
If you love a bit of citrus, you can use lime (we did), lemon, or orange juice.
If you want to make the drink a little bit sweeter, you can use simple syrup or even honey.
4. Garnish away!
The best thing about this drink is that it really allows you to play with the garnishes!
Here are some ideas:
- Colored sugar crystals – if you don’t want to use peppermint candies or you can’t find them, you can use a mixture of red and green sugar crystals for a festive look!
- Mint sprig – put a small sprig of fresh mint on top of your martini glass to a fresh and floral twist.
- Candy canes – mini candy canes?? Heck, yes! You can pop them into the drink to use as a combo garnish/stirrer, or you can hang them on the side of the martini glass just before serving.
Peppermint Martinis (For That Kid In You)
Holiday martinis are always fun and colorful, and it doesn’t get more festive and delicious than these peppermint martinis!
These delicious drinks feature smooth, velvety chocolate with spicy peppermint and a crushed candy rim for a little bit of texture!
Peppermint Martinis Recipe
Peppermint martinis! These delicious drinks feature smooth, velvety chocolate with spicy peppermint and a crushed candy rim for a little bit of texture!
Ingredients
- 2 oz. vanilla vodka, chilled
vanilla vodka
- 1 oz. white crème de cacao, chilled
white crème de cacao
- 1 oz. Peppermint schnapps, chilled
Rim Coating:
- 3 oz. peppermint candies
peppermint candies
- 2 T. fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Place peppermint candies in a strong Ziploc bag and close the seal. Wrap the Ziploc bag in a towel.
- Pound the towel-wrapped bag with a meat mallet or rolling pin until candies are crushed into small, fine pieces. Transfer the crushed candy to a flat plate.
- Place lime juice in a small saucer.
- Dip the rim of the martini glass in the lime juice until the whole rim is well-moistened.
- Dip the moistened rim of the martini glass into the crushed candy and turn until the rims are completely encrusted in crushed candies. Set prepared glass aside.
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add vodka, crème de cacao, and peppermint schnapps. Shake vigorously until well combined.
- Strain chilled liquid into a prepared martini glass, taking care not to touch the rim!
- Add garnishes as desired.
- Serve immediately.
Can I Use Other Types of Crème de Cacao?
Yes, you can use dark chocolate crème de cacao to make it look like peppermint bark!
However, using the white version of crème de cacao will give you that “holiday candy cane” look, especially if you add the Grenadine!
Make it Creamier
If you want to make your drink a little bit creamier, you can add a splash of half-and-half into the cocktail shaker before shaking everything together.
Drizzle It In
Want to make this ultra-decadent? Drizzle some dark chocolate syrup or marshmallow topping around the martini glass after rimming it.
Hey, it’s the holidays! You can indulge a little bit!
This delicious drink might just become your favorite go-to drink around the holidays, especially if you love the flavors of chocolate and peppermint together.