How To Turn Your Hot Chocolate Into A Cozy Winter Martini

Planning a holiday party and need a festive, crowd-pleasing cocktail? Or, just need a tipple that feels fancy yet comforting enough to send those winter doldrums packing? Allow us to introduce the hot chocolate martini. This may sound like your standard chocolate martini, but you can literally use your favorite hot chocolate and get inspired to add whole new flavors to your 'tini. If you can make a hot chocolate with different flavors and garnishes, you can do the same for your decadent adult beverage. Get into the mood, equal parts extravagant and cozy, by thinking about things like cocoa and chocolate syrup, marshmallows, peppermint, orange, chili pepper, and more.

It's easy to make customizations and turn a dessert martini into a hot chocolate martini because there's already lots of flexibility to the chocolate martini formula. You can make a smoky chocolate 'tini with mezcal and crème de cacao or swap classic vodka out for a more complex chocotini. For example, with its woody, nutty, caramelly notes, bourbon is a popular choice for spiking hot chocolate. It would be a great start for a chocolate martini riff. It may help to start with a straightforward recipe, though, before you get creative from there. For a foolproof sweet treat, make hot chocolate and let it cool. Mix 2 or 3 ounces (depending on how strong you want the cocktail) of that with vanilla vodka, coffee liqueur, and crème de cacao, and garnish with marshmallows.

A holiday-perfect spin on the hot chocolate martini is peppermint. Combine cooled hot cocoa with a minty spirit, like peppermint schnapps or vodka, then add a splash each of Bailey's Irish Cream and chocolate liqueur. White chocolate fans can make this peppermint martini — or any hot chocolate martini for that matter — with cooled white hot chocolate from Cocoa Classics. For a different lighter, sweeter flavor, try a vanilla hot chocolate martini with white crème de cacao and vanilla simple syrup. You can also, of course, use vanilla vodka. Essentially, you can begin with a cooled hot chocolate base and add whatever you dream up with various spirits and syrups. When you learn how to flavor your own simple syrups, the possibilities are endless. Create a citrus-brightened hot chocolate martini with orange liqueur or orange zest simple syrup — or start with orange hot chocolate from Whittard of Chelsea.

You can also spice your hot chocolate martini up. Add cinnamon or cinnamon simple syrup, or infuse vodka with Red Hot candies to use. Consider taking inspiration from Mexican hot chocolate, special for its richness and spice, by combining dark chocolate liqueur, coffee liqueur, chocolate vodka, and tequila, plus chipotle powder. Finally, there are so many ways to garnish these sweet martinis. Add candy canes, gumdrops, sugar cookies, or whipped cream. Moisten the glass's rim, or use chocolate syrup or caramel, and coat in sprinkles, shaved coconut, or crushed peppermint or graham crackers.