Chocolate Martini

This chocolate martini recipe is rich and creamy: the best treat for a chocoholic! Serve garnished with grated chocolate.

Looking for a cocktail to please a chocoholic? (Guilty as charged, over here.) Try this Chocolate Martini! This drink is rich and creamy, basically a dessert in a glass. It’s got Irish cream and creme de cacao for maximum flavor, like the liquid version of your favorite chocolate bar. Mix this up as an after dinner drink to impress guests…or just anytime you need a sweet treat in cocktail form. Here’s more about how to make this sweet and creamy cocktail.

What’s in a chocolate martini?

The vodka martini is about as far from a classic dry martini as they come. In fact, it’s ironic that vodka martinis even carry the name! The Classic Martini is straight up gin and vermouth: it’s as dry as they come. You can also make a vodka version of the classic, but a family of sweet and fruity vodka martinis started to become popular in the 1990’s. There’s really no resemblance to the original martini: so it’s just a fun excuse to make a vodka mixed drink!

The chocolate martini is a concept that all bartenders riff on, so there’s no “official” definition like the lemon drop martini or espresso martini. Here’s what we put in our chocolate martini recipe:

• Vodka
• Irish cream (like Baileys)
• Creme de cacao
• Heavy cream
• Simple syrup
• Cocoa powder

Want another variation? Try the Chocolatini instead!

What’s creme de cacao?

Creme de cacao might not be something you’re used to stocking in your liquor cabinet. It’s most famous for its use in the Brandy Alexander and the Grasshopper: but it’s also popularly used in a chocolate martini! Here’s a little more about this specialty liquor:

• Creme de cacao is a cocoa bean flavored liqueur, available in both white (clear) and dark varieties. It has a long history: it’s possibly one of the first alcoholic beverages, made in the 1600’s by monks after cocoa beans were brought back to Europe from America (source).
• What does creme de cacao taste like? White creme de cacao, the clear variety, tastes like milk chocolate with notes of vanilla.
• How much does creme de cacao cost? It costs between $10 to $20 for a 750 ml bottle.
• Is it worth buying? Yes, if you like sweet cocktails! You can make creme de cacao drinks like the Brandy Alexander, Grasshopper or Bushwacker.

More about Irish cream

Irish cream is a liqueur made with Irish whiskey and cream. The most popular Irish cream is Baileys, but there are other brands of Irish cream (we used a different brand for this recipe). The most popular Irish cream cocktail is the Mudslide, which itself is a variant of the classic creamy White Russian.

How to make a chocolate martini

Got those two specialty liquors? Then all you need is heavy cream, simple syrup and cocoa powder, and you’re good to go! There are lots of ways to make a chocolate martini recipe, like with melted chocolate or chocolate syrups. This one works well with just straight up cocoa powder. Here’s what to do:

• Shake in a cocktail shaker: Throw all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and add 2 handfuls of ice. Shake 15 seconds until cold. Don’t have a cocktail shaker? Try a covered mason jar.
• Strain and garnish. That’s it! Strain it into a cocktail glass or martini glass (using any type of strainer if you don’t have a cocktail shaker). Garnish with a little shaved chocolate if you’d like to be fancy.

More martinis

There are so many more flavored types of martinis to try! Here are some of our favorites:

• Decorate the glass for a fancy Chocolatini
• Go for sophisticated French Martini
• Opt for a jolt with the Espresso Martini or Coffee Martini
• Go fruity with Watermelon Martini, Cranberry Martini, or Pomegranate Martini
• Enjoy citrus with Key Lime Martini, Blood Orange Martini, Limoncello Martini or Lemon Drop Martini
• Try unique Cucumber Martini or Ginger Martini

01

Chocolatini

02

French Martini

03

Espresso Martini

04

Coffee Martini

When to serve a chocolate martini

The chocolate martini recipe works before dinner, after dinner, or anytime in between. Serve it as a:

• Happy hour drink
• Dessert cocktail
• Valentine’s Day or romantic dinner drink
• Afternoon cocktail
• Girls or guys night drink
• Cocktail hour drink

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