Name: Holiday Chocolate Candy Cane Martini
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 2 ounces vanilla vodka; 1 1/2 ounces creme de cacao; 1 ounce peppermint schnapps

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I love this holiday chocolate candy cane martini so much, I could do a jig! This chocolate candy cane martini is sweet and festive! It’s truly a great sipping cocktail.

Vertical view of candy cane martini with the sled with santa and mrs claus in it

As you noticed, I like to dance and good food and drink makes me want to do it even more. But, I have to be careful because one can’t do an interpretive dance in a restaurant, no matter how much one wants to. There are rules.

Or at least, I think there are. Rules like not knocking over people’s drinks with my arms doing their expressive thing.

Flashback

Full disclosure: this is the first time I’ve had peppermint schnapps, at least that I know of, since I was in college.

Now, you are probably asking, why haven’t I had peppermint schnapps since college?

Good! Because I want to tell you.

Long ago and far away, I went to college a few hours away from my home. My sister Nancy used to like to visit me on weekends and of course I liked her visiting. Well, one of these visits, we bought some beer and peppermint schnapps and proceeded to play games of the kind you tend to play in college. This particular game we played, we called “Quarters”.

Here’s how we played it. We’d sit across from each other on the floor, with our beers poured into coffee mugs. We’d then take turns tossing a quarter into each other’s mug. If you got it in, that person had to drink.

I was a good shot.

Well, after that fun filled game, we went to a place on campus called “The Maze”.

The Maze – AZE… – AZE…

Do you hear that echo or is it just me?

The maze was originally an art installation in a field where I went to college. It was torn down a few years later, after it fell into disrepair. It was literally a maze made out of chain link fence with a walkway just wide enough to fit one person. Anyway, Nancy and I went there after playing Quarters. I had heard that if you put your right hand on one of the walls as soon as you walked in, you would find your way out very easily.

Let’s just say, I had faulty information.

All I got was lost.

Oh yeah. I’m forgetting the pleasure of breaking all the fingernails on my right hand and a bellyful of peppermint schnapps. I got those too.

Imbued with hindsight’s nostalgia, the maze was fun. But, I had too much peppermint schnapps that night and I was badly hung over the next day. Ergo, since then, no peppermint schnapps has purposely passed these lips.

Until now.

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Pepperment schnapps, vanilla vodka, creme de cacao and crushed candy canes

How to make the chocolate candy cane martini

Here we go! We have vanilla vodka, creme de cacao, and the dreaded peppermint schnapps.

First thing I do, is have Christopher crush four candy canes with the mortar and pestle and place the pieces in a dish. Next, he wets the inside and outside of the rim of the martini glass with simple syrup. He places the martini rim in the crushed candy canes and places the glass in the freezer.

I get my cocktail shaker and fill it halfway with ice and measure out 2 ounces vanilla vodka!

I’m really liking these flavored vodkas. I always thought they would be too sweet or fake-tasting, but, nope. Me like!

I pour the vodka into the cocktail shaker.

Next up, I pour out 1 1/2 ounces of creme de cacao.

Into the cocktail shaker it goes.

Last up, is the peppermint schnapps! I pour out 1 ounce.

Then I pour it into the cocktail shaker to complete the cocktail.

I yell at Christopher to grab the martini glass out of the freezer. He runs like the wind to fulfill my every need.

Frosted glass with crushed candy canes on the rim with the shaker in the background

Time to shake it, but not break it!

I cap shake the contents of the shaker for 30 seconds and strain the contents into the glass, being careful not to touch the candied rim.

Poured candy cane martini with santa and mrs clause in the background

Look at how cloudy it is. That’s from the microchips of ice you create when you shake the crap out of the drinks.

A sleigh ride down memory lane

See the sled in the background with Mr. and Mrs. Claus? It was made in 1957 and I got it from my mom. I didn’t get it from her in 1957 since I wasn’t born yet, but later in life. 😉

Santa and the Mrs. are salt and pepper shakers. Isn’t that cute? Unfortunately, during one of our many house moves, Mrs. Claus got damaged. Now she can’t hold her salt. But Christopher and I still love those two and their jolly sleigh, with its little candy cane runners!

Also, in the photo is my lonely plant. This is my foray into keeping something green alive. I’ve named her Myrtle and the singing succulents. That way I’ll care about her and keep her alive.

Hopefully!

Back to the candy cane martini.

Let’s see another view.

Close up of the martini looking pretty and festive

The drinkie poo is getting less cloudy as the micro chips dissolve.

Now for the vertical view.

Vertical view of the martini with small candy canes and a sled with santa and mrs claus in it

I lift it and take a sip. Soooooo good, I can’t even find any fault with the peppermint schnapps.

Suddenly, I realize: I’m cured!

This opens a whole hostess of other cocktails.

*Rubs hands together*

I hope you enjoyed this recipe.

Other holiday drinks

And as always, may all your dishes/drinks be delish!

If you’ve tried this candy cane martini or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!