Candy Cane Martini (Candy Cane Infused Vodka)

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This Candy Cane Martini is a delicious way to celebrate Christmas! Made with homemade peppermint vodka it’s an easy cocktail recipe for any holiday party.

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Every time I have a party I make a themed cocktail. I’ve done Hawaiian Mimosas for luaus, Lemon Cupcake Martinis for birthday parties, and I plan to serve French 75 Champagne Martinis this New Year’s Eve.

Peppermint is one of my favorite holiday flavors, so it was natural that this year I’ll be serving Candy Cane Martinis at Christmas parties!

This candy cane martini can be made two ways: crisp or creamy!

Regardless of which martini you make, you need peppermint vodka to make them. Sure, you can buy peppermint vodka at most grocery stores this time of year, but did you also know it’s easy to make your own? Infusing vodka with flavor is super simple and you can use that large bottle you buy at Costco so it’s way cheaper than buying a flavored brand.

How do you make peppermint vodka?

It’s simple, with just two ingredients!

To make peppermint vodka, simply add 2 cups of vodka to a large jar and add 4-5 candy canes. You can use any flavor candy cane (or any size). Let the candy canes soak in the vodka until they dissolve, which won’t take very long (a few hours).

Once you have a jar of peppermint flavored vodka you can easily add it to cocktail recipes all season long.

Candy Cane Martini #1 is a cocktail that tastes like chocolate and peppermint!

To make this easy crisp cocktail, simply mix the peppermint vodka with vanilla vodka, peppermint schnapps, and creme de cocoa. Creme de cocoa is a chocolate flavored liquor and adds some delicious chocolate undertones to the peppermint martini.

You can rim your martini glass with candy canes too!

To rim your martini glass with crushed candy, simply dip the martini glass in water then dip in a bowl of crushed candy canes.

Candy Cane Martini #2 is a creamy peppermint cocktail recipe!

This one has only two ingredients:

• Peppermint Vodka
• Baileys Irish Cream

Simply mix them together in equal parts and you have a delicious creamy cocktail that’s perfectly Christmassy.

No matter what cocktail you serve, your guests are sure to love them. Why not serve both?

When I’m serving a crowd at a holiday party, I like to mix up a pitcher of the martinis (about 4 or 5 times the recipe) and then simply shake them over ice before serving. It’s much easier and less messy to make them ahead of time.

Tips for making Candy Cane Martinis:

• You can make homemade peppermint vodka or just buy some at the store.
• When crushing candy canes for the rim of the glass, place them in a bag and bang them with a rolling pin but be sure to do this on a cookie sheet or cutting board. The bag will get holes in it!
• Adjust all the alcohol to taste – these can get strong quick!

Other candy cane recipes perfect for Christmas:

• Peppermint Gooey Bars
• Peppermint Ganache Pie
• Peppermint Sugar Cookie Bars
• Oreo Peppermint Bark

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Servings: 2 people

Candy Cane Martinis

Prep Time:

10 mins

Total Time:

10 mins

Candy Cane Martinis are made with peppermint vodka. Make your own homemade peppermint vodka then make a candy cane martini or a creamy candy cane martini!

Ingredients

For the peppermint vodka

• 2 cups vodka
• 5 candy canes — plus more for rimming glasses

For the Candy Cane Martini (serves 2)

• 2 ounces peppermint vodka
• 2 ounces peppermint schnapps
• 4 ounces vanilla vodka
• 2 ounces creme de cocoa

For the Creamy Candy Cane Martini (serves 2)

• 3 ounces peppermint vodka
• 3 ounces Baileys Irish Cream

Instructions

1. To make the peppermint vodka: add vodka and candy canes to a jar. Seal and let sit until candy canes are dissolved (about 2-4 hours). May make up to 1 week ahead; store in refrigerator.

2. Rim 2 martini glasses with crushed candy canes: dip the glass in water then in a pile of crushed candy canes.

3. To make the Candy Cane Martini: Add both vodkas, schnapps, and creme de cocoa in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into martini glasses.

4. To make the Creamy Candy Cane Martini: add vodka and Irish cream to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into martini glasses.

Recipe Video

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: martini

Nutrition Information

Amount per serving (1 drink) — Calories: 398, Carbohydrates: 26g, Sugar: 19g

All text and images © Dorothy Kern for Crazy for Crust. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be accurate.

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