5 Mint Chocolate Cocktails For The Holiday Season
Every year, the holiday season brings with it a delightful opportunity to indulge in rich, decadent flavours of traditional favourites like chocolate and mint. But if you have only tasted this incredible combination in the form of desserts and cakes, and never as cocktails, you are truly missing out on something amazing. Infusing mint and chocolate into your cocktails is a sure-shot way of blending sophistication and festive cheer for your loved ones this Christmas.
Now, if you are wondering if the combination works as well as it does in the case of food, then rest assured. Mint has an herbaceous, zingy and refreshing taste, while chocolate always symbolises richness and indulgence. Mint chocolate, as a combination, works incredibly well for everything from ice creams to cakes. So, when mixed with select spirits, the combination naturally adds to the flavour of the cocktails, always elevating them to a new level of refreshing richness and enjoyment.
So, mint chocolate cocktails can indeed make for the most festive of drinks for your gatherings this holiday season. Now, if you are wondering how to go about creating mint chocolate-infused cocktails for your parties this holiday season, here are some cocktails you should try.
1. Peppermint Patty Delight
This vodka-based cocktail provides the perfect canvas for chocolate and mint flavours to shine through, especially if you use vodkas like Smirnoff, Ciroc and Ketel One. What you need to do is fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes, then pour in 25ml each of vodka, chocolate liqueur, crème de menthe and half-and-half cream. Shake the mixture vigorously until you get a creamy, frothy and smooth cocktail. Strain the cocktail into a chilled martini glass and garnish with some peppermint candy canes. You can also crush the candy cane and rim the glass with it for better effect.
2. Minty Cocoa Bliss
Adding Bailey’s Irish Whisky Cream to a classic hot chocolate mix can turn it into the perfect cocktail for the holiday season or any festive occasion like a Christmas party. Now do that with mint and chocolate, and you’ll have nothing short of a winner at hand. To make this incredible Christmas-themed cocktail, you will first need to whip up 50ml hot chocolate in a mug, then add 35ml peppermint schnapps, 25ml cocoa cream and 25ml Bailey’s. Give everything a good stir, then top up the drink with some whipped cream and grated dark chocolate.
3. Chocolate Mint Martini
This twist on the classic martini calls for a good gin like Tanqueray or Gordon’s and a few minty and chocolatey ingredients that transform the regular martini into a festive one that everyone will fall in love with. First, rim a chilled martini glass with chocolate syrup—you can also add crushed peppermint candy or crushed candy canes to the rim to make the glass look even more festive. Now, fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes, then add 35ml gin, 15ml crème de menthe and 15ml chocolate liqueur. Shake vigorously until the contents are thoroughly mixed and chilled, then strain into the ready martini glasses. Serve with a sprig of mint leaves for garnish.
4. Frozen Mint Chocolate Chip Cocktail
What better way to complement the Christmas spirit than with a cocktail that captures the essence of snowy white holidays? The best part is, you can use a blender to make this cocktail and therefore it can be created in large batches for large gatherings too! Just take a blender jar and place 25ml crème de menthe, 25ml crème de cacao, 25ml Smirnoff vodka, 5ml Bailey’s Irish Whisky Cream, 2 scoops vanilla ice cream and 100ml milk. Blend everything together until smooth and creamy, then pour into chilled glasses and top with mint chocolate chips or grated mint chocolate.
5. Minty Mocha Elixir
The combination of coffee and chocolate is a much of a winner as coffee and mint, so why not put the three together this holiday season to create the ultimate cocktail. What you need to do is mix 35ml coffee liqueur, 5ml Bailey’s Irish Whisky Cream, 15ml cocoa cream, 25ml peppermint schnapps in a heatproof mug. Now pour in hot brewed espresso and leave some space at the top of the mug. Fill up this space with a generous amount of whipped cream and add a candy cane or peppermint candy for garnish. Enjoy the warm cocktail as it transports into a Christmas wonderland.
