Candy Cane Martini

Celebrate Christmas with this fun, peppermint flavored cocktail!

This recipe is meant for people over 21 years old. Please drink responsibly.

❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

This candy cane martini brings all kinds of holiday flavor to your Christmas parties.

Candy cane infused vodka mixed with peppermint schnapps and cream soda give your guests a sweet, sparkly welcome!

This is one of my favorites.

🧾 Ingredients

You’ll need:

• Candy canes
• Vodka
• Peppermint schnapps
• Clear cream soda (or red if you want the darker color)
• White corn syrup (to rim the glasses)

🔪 Instructions

It’s so simple to make your own infused vodkas! Infusing isn’t an exact science – some things take longer than others. The candy only take a few minutes while other foods may take days.

1. Add about ½ cup broken candy canes to a quart jar.
2. Fill with vodka.
3. Cover tightly.
4. Shake.
5. Let sit for a couple of hours.
6. If you have time let sit on the counter for a couple of days, shaking occasionally to help the candy canes dissolve.

🥫 Storage

You can store the candy cane and vodka mixture for an indefinite period of time. Just put in a jar with a tight fitting lid and keep on the pantry shelf.

Once you add the soda to the mixture it's best to serve it immediately while it's still fizzy.

💭 Things to know

This is such a simple drink to make and has so much flavor! Unlike many candy cane martini cocktails this one does not contain chocolate flavor – it’s pure peppermint and vanilla.

Expert Tip: If cream soda makes it too sweet for your tastes you can use club soda.

• No time to infuse the vodka? Use a vanilla vodka and let the peppermint schnapps add all the candy cane flavor.
• Use mini candy canes, one per 2 ½ ounces of vodka.
• Crush the candy and drop it in a Mason jar with the vodka. They usually dissolve in 5 minutes or so – give the jar a good shake.
• If you like it a little sweeter add a teaspoon of simple syrup.
• Rub a thin ribbon of corn syrup on the rim of the glass and roll it in crushed candy canes.
• You can also rim the glass with colored sugar.
• Crush the ice in the blender to make it almost like snow.

To make it pitcher or punch bowl

One of the worst things about hosting a Christmas party (besides the clean up!) is being stuck mixing drinks all evening! You can make a big batch of this recipe and add the cream soda to each individual glass.

OR make it in a pitcher or punch bowl.

Here’s how-

1. A couple of days before your party make your infused vodka. A quart jar holds 32 ounces – enough for about 12 cocktails.
2. Mix 12 ounces of peppermint schnapps with the infused vodka.
3. For each drink you’ll need 3 ½ ounces of the mix and 4 to 6 ounces of cream soda.

🍹Garnish

The simplest way to garnish this easy cocktail is with peppermint sticks or candy canes. Here are some other possibilities –

• Fresh mint leaves
• Rosemary sprigs
• Rim the glass with chocolate shavings
• Rim the glass with different colored sugars
• Or sprinkles…

If you’re throwing a holiday party you need this drink! The vanilla cream soda softens the spice of the peppermint and gives the drink sparkle.

📚 Related recipes

• Chocolate Peppermint Martini is rich and creamy - another, delicious holiday cocktail for serving with desserts.
• Red Velvet Martini has a bright red color and tastes like red velvet cake. It's amazing!
• Midnight Kiss Cocktail is a beautiful dark blue champagne cocktail that's great for the holidays.

🍽️ Serve with...

• Chocolate Covered Cherries
• Fudge
• Red Velvet Cake
• Christmas Cookies

📞 The last word

Can't get too much Christmas? Try this Cranberry Whiskey Sour next!

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First Published December 24, 2020. Last updated December 24, 2022 for editorial improvments.