Cheers, friends! It’s Day 12 of the 12 Days of Christmas.
This is a bittersweet day for me. While I have a delicious cocktail recipe, today marks the end of this fun and festive 12-day adventure. (For those of you who can’t get enough of IBC, please don’t worry. I’ll be posting holiday inspiration straight through to the big day! (At that point, I will probably sneak in a little break.)
As a delicious and festive send off for 12 Days 2015, I thought a coffee-inspired holiday cocktail would be appropriate. That’s why today’s recipe is for a Peppermint Espresso Martini.
I’m a big fan of espresso martinis, so adding a seasonal twist to this cocktail just made sense. Plus, I figured that around the holidays you might need a festive little pick-me-up.
This cocktail is so simple to make. To start, brew a shot of espresso.
Then, fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add Kahlúa Peppermint Mocha, vodka, a splash of cream, and the espresso you just brewed.
Shake it all up and pour it into a beautiful martini glass rimmed with crushed candy cane. That’s it!
Typically espresso martinis do not have cream. However, I like cream in my coffee, so a splash in my martini made it perfect. Plus, I also love the creamy mocha color it creates.
I should also let you know that when rimming the martini glass, I found that honey works best to get the candy cane pieces to stick. You can even toss some coffee beans into the martini if you’d like.
Let’s shake one up!
Makes 1 drink
Here's what you will need:
1.5 parts Kahlúa Peppermint Mocha
1 part vodka
1 freshly brewed espresso
Splash of cream, optional
Ice
Crushed peppermint candy cane (or peppermint hard candy) and honey to garnish
Begin by rimming your martini glass in honey. Let any excess drip off. Then, dip into the crushed peppermint pieces. Set aside.
In a cocktail shaker with ice, add the Kahlúa, vodka, espresso, and cream. Shake vigorously until combined and cold.
Pour the cocktail into the prepared martini glass and enjoy!
PrintBeautifully decadent, right?
(BTW, I really like photographing martinis. I’m not sure why, but they always look so pretty. What do you think?)
If you like espresso and martinis, be sure to give this a try. If you don’t like peppermint with your coffee, use regular Kahlúa and skip the peppermint rim to make a classic Espresso Martini.
A huge thanks to all of you who’ve followed along these past twelve days. Whether you’ve commented here or on social media, shared a post on Pinterest, or are visiting a year later, I can’t tell you how much your interaction means to me. This series is my way of spreading holiday cheer and giving back to all of you. I hope you enjoyed it! I’m going to start emailing giveaway winners this weekend. Good luck to all who entered.
Thank you again! Merry Christmas!!
12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
This drink looks delicious & festive.
I can’t believe your 12 days are over lol.. I enjoyed it SO much. Your blog always inspires me. Thanks for being so generous this season & giving us the chance to win amazing prizes too.. Merry Christmas!!
Joey J
I have to make these tonight!
another good drink to try, I’m going to be an alcholic before the season is over, but I shall be merry Thanks for the 12 days of Christmas. Hope you have a Merry one.
I loved every one of the 12 Days posts and am sad that it’s over! I wanted to tell you that I LOVE the gifs you sneak in here and there. ?
Awe! Thank you! I wasn’t sure if anyone actually noticed them. Haha!
xo Michael
A perfect ending to a fun 12 days! If I could just snap my fingers and make this martini appear right now! It looks delicious.. There isn’t anything better than coffee and peppermint -oh – and a bit o’ the hard stuff!
P.S. Give some thought to doing a Christmas Room Makeover for one of your readers next year – Please?! And have a very Merry Christmas!
I would love to do that! Great idea. 🙂
xo Michael
Love everything you did to decorate ,the colors and then this amazing beverage! Thank you for sharing your beautiful and festive home. Merry Christmas!
Thanks Peggy!!
xo Michael
I enjoy your blog so much. You are very talented. Thanks for sharing it with all of us.
I love Nespresso (we’ve had a Pixie for several years now), and I’m a huge fan of KitchenAid (every appliance in my kitchen is KitchenAid!)–but I had no idea they’d gotten together and produced a beautiful child. What a cool looking espresso maker! Thank you for the chance to win.
Your blog is so beautiful. You obviously love photographing much more than just martinis, although I agree they look beautiful in their gorgeous glasses. Thank you so much for sharing all your lovely inspiration so freely. May God bless you this Christmas and always.
Hi Michael, I really loved following your 12 Days of Christmas fun. You have such a beautiful home. Thanks, Pat S