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Peppermint Martini (Easy 3 Ingredient Cocktail)

Peppermint martini for a change this season? It’s quick, easy to make with only 3 ingredients, and adds a festive note to any holiday occasion!

peppermint martini with wee candy cane on rim

Last year, just before Christmas, I had my first peppermint martini and was an instant fan!

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Holiday travel nightmare story follows–use the JUMP TO RECIPE BUTTON to skip.

peppermint martini

My husband, my parents and I had flown to New York City to visit my daughter in Manhattan, and she wanted to take us to her local pub, namely, Biddy’s Pub.

Biddy's Pub at night

My parents opted for an early night, so we went for trivia night, and I ordered a peppermint martini since it seemed like a festive cocktail to have just before Christmas. One sip and I knew it would be a cocktail I’d be making at home.

Peppermint martini at Biddy's Pub
Peppermint martini at Biddy’s Pub in NYC

Discovering that I loved a peppermint martini was one of the positive parts during our trip to spend Christmas with my kids on the East Coast. I was blissfully unaware of all that was to transpire over the next few days, including Christmas Day.

Manhattan skyline from LGA

An extratropical cyclone, better known as the “Bomb Cyclone” of December, 2022 hit the East Coast of the US making headlines around the world–and we were smack dab in the middle of it. There’s even a Wikipedia page about the notorious winter storm of 2022. The irony is that we always have our kids visit us so we would have been enjoying 80+ degree (F) weather back home in Los Angeles!

being rescued from an elevator
My mother being rescued from an elevator.

I won’t bore you with all the details, because you probably wouldn’t believe them all, but we were stuck in the airport for almost 10 hours, and left without a hotel, car rental or flight to Washington DC. The trip reminded us all of the movie, Planes, Trains and Automobiles!

Incredibly, we managed to get there the next day with an outrageously priced rental car, however, things didn’t get any better. On Christmas Day, all six of us got stuck in an elevator and had to be rescued by the Arlington Fire Department!

peppermint martini with glow

So back to the minty cocktail: as I said, it was a martini I wanted to make at home. When we got back, I spotted a peppermint cream liqueur at my Trader Joe’s, bought it, and made plans. Of course, I looked at a few recipes, but honestly didn’t like anything that I saw.

Try this lemon drop martini recipe, too! I bet you’ll say it’s the best you’ve ever had!

The Best Ever Lemon Drop Martini Recipe

Or, if you’re a seasonal cocktail lover, try this pumpkin spice espresso martini!

pumpkin spice espresso martini in coupe glass

So my peppermint martini recipe goes like this: crushed candy cane on the rim (I had planned that from the night in Biddy’s Pub, but for an easy version, just skip it) vodka and peppermint cream liqueur. It’s so good, and I don’t mind it not being pink, in fact I prefer it.

peppermint martini

That’s a Kartell lamp in the background. I fell in love with it in a restaurant in Naples. Now there are cheap copies of this lamp all over Amazon (which makes me sad), but the price difference is incredible.

Peppermint Martini

inspired by a Biddy’s Pub martini                              serves 2

FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW

Ingredients

  • candy canes
  • vodka
  • peppermint cream liqueur

Special equipment: cocktail shaker, 2 martini glasses

Note: if you can’t find peppermint cream liqueur, make your own using a 1:1 ratio of heavy cream and peppermint schnapps.

Directions

Prep the Glasses

crushing candy canes

Crush the candy canes inside a plastic bag with something like a meat mallet. You can crush much finer than this if you prefer.

crushed candy canes

You can dip into a plate with Lyle’s Golden Syrup (like I did), or honey, but you can even use water to rim the glass.

rimming the glass

It only takes a minute.

rimmed martini glass with peppermint

Make the Peppermint Cocktail

In a cocktail shaker with ice, pour in the peppermint cream liqueur and vodka.

adding vodka to shaker

Close the shaker and shake at least 30 times.

Pouring martini

Pour the cocktail evenly between both glasses, and cheers!

peppermint martini with crushed candy on the rim

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peppermint martini

2 peppermint martini social

Peppermint Martini

Servings: 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Additional Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
A simple peppermint flavored martini that's super easy to make.
4.9 from 8 votes

Special Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 candy canes
  • 2 oz vodka
  • 4 oz peppermint cream liqueur
  • honey or Golden Syrup optional

Instructions

  • Crush the candy canes inside a plastic bag with something like a meat mallet. You can crush much finer than this if you prefer.
  • You can dip into a plate with Lyle's Golden Syrup (like I did), or honey, but you can even use water to rim the glass.
  • In a cocktail shakerwith ice, pour in the peppermint cream liqueur and vodka.
  • Close the shaker and shake at least 30 times.
  • Pour evenly between both glasses, and cheers!

Notes

  • If you can't find peppermint cream liqueur, make your own using a 1:1 ratio of heavy cream and peppermint schnapps.
  • Add more or less vodka as desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 65kcal | Sodium: 0.3mg | Potassium: 0.3mg | Iron: 0.01mg

Christina’s Cucina is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

4.88 from 8 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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18 Comments

  1. I’ve been ordering these peppermint martinis from a local restaurant all December–I had no idea they were this simple to make. I’m definitely making these next Christmas. I’ll start the day with some fresh espresso using my Bialetti moka coffee pot, and end it with a creamy, peppermint martini!

  2. Moka Pot
    The Peppermint Martini has to be one of the best recipes around. Absolutely delicious. If I win this gorgeous Espresso pot. I think either the orange or lemon Scicilian cake would be wonderful with espresso made jn this beautiful pot

  3. The perfect beginning to a supper that ends with espresso made in the BIALETTI DOLCE E GABBANA 3 CUP MOKA COFFEE MAKER! Let’s celebrate!