Chocolatini

The Chocolatini is the ideal drink for chocolate lovers! Pair chocolate liqueur with Irish cream for a rich, creamy dessert cocktail.

Need a fun dessert drink for chocolate lovers? Try the Chocolatini! This vodka martini is just as decadent as its name sounds, pairing chocolate liqueur with Irish cream for the best rich, creamy cocktail. This one is a little indulgent, but it’s worth it for a splurge: like a romantic dinner or a fun night with friends. Decorate the glass with even more chocolate, because: why not? We’re not always dessert cocktail drinkers, but we love to spring for this one when it’s time to celebrate. 

Ingredients in a Chocolatini

The Chocolatini is a chocolate-flavored vodka martini made with Irish cream and chocolate liqueur called creme de cacao. Vodka martinis bear little resemblance to the classic dry Martini made with gin and vermouth: they’re basically a catch-all name for any flavored vodka-based drink served in a martini glass. 

Legend has it that the classic Chocolate Martini was invented by Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor in 1955 while filming a movie together, adding chocolate syrup and chocolate liqueur to the vodka martini. This Chocolatini is a spin that uses chocolate liqueur in the drink and the syrup for glass decoration! The ingredients you’ll need for this drink are: 

• Irish cream, like Baileys or other
• Crème de cacao 
• Vodka
• For the glass: cocoa powder, brown sugar, chocolate syrup, and grated chocolate

More about creme de cacao

The star ingredient in a Chocolatini is the chocolate liqueur. Here you’ll use crème de cacao, a clear chocolate liqueur that’s also used in famous cocktails like the Mudslide, Brandy Alexander, and Grasshopper. Here’s more about this liqueur: 

• Crème 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.

Glass decoration for a Chocolatini

The Chocolatini is fun and festive: and even more so with the glass decoration! All of it is totally optional, so you can pick and choose whatever parts of the presentation you like. Here are a few notes on the various elements: 

• Glass rim: Rimming the glass with cocoa powder and brown sugar gives a chocolaty, crunchy entry to each sip. It’s worth the extra few minutes. We wet the rim of the glass with water, but you could also dip it in a plate of chocolate syrup. 
• Glass swirl: Chocolate syrup makes a dramatic glass decoration. Draw a swirl, or whatever pattern you’d like. 
• Chocolate shavings: Take the drink a notch further with chocolate shavings! Use a knife or even vegetable peeler to make shavings off a dark chocolate bar. (You can even chop chocolate chips if that’s all you have on hand. 

Making them for a crowd

Want to make Chocolatinis for a crowd? You can shake up 2 drinks in a cocktail shaker at once to make them at double the speed. If you’re making a large amount at a time, you can also stir together the ingredients in a pitcher and add a few handfuls ice, then stir and remove the ice. Make sure to add the ice because it both chills and dilutes the drink! 

The most time consuming part of a Chocolatini? Preparing the glass. So if you’re serving for a crowd, you could skip the rim and just go for the chocolate shavings, if you prefer. 

More chocolate cocktails

Love chocolate? Here are a few more chocolate cocktails and drinks you’ll love:

• Try the classic Chocolate Martini
• Opt for a frosty Bushwacker or a hot Baileys Hot Chocolate
• Grab an elegant Brandy Alexander
• Try the minty Grasshopper with crème de menthe

01

Bushwacker Drink

02

Brandy Alexander

03

Grasshopper Drink

04

Baileys Hot Chocolate

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