Gingerbread Martini – The Perfect Gingerbread Cocktail
Hello gingerbread lovers! This gingerbread martini has a wonderful gingerbread flavor and embodies the essence of this time of year. There’s nothing quite like a delicious creamy cocktail to get you into the holiday season spirit.
This gingerbread cocktail recipe is a perfect holiday cocktail, with a grown-up, festive twist on a favorite Christmas flavor. It’s inspired by the warmth and sweetness of gingerbread cookies.
The combination of vodka, Irish cream, milk, and homemade gingerbread syrup creates this gorgeous mix of flavors. This Christmas martini is perfect for your next holiday party.
For another Christmas cocktail idea, try this Classic snowball!
Ingredients
Here’s what you need for this delicious christmas cocktail recipe. Find the amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Vodka: A versatile base that allows the gingerbread flavor to shine.
- Irish cream: Adds a creamy, luxurious texture and a hint of Irish whiskey.
- Milk: Softens the cocktail, making it smooth and sippable.
- Homemade gingerbread simple syrup: The star ingredient, this syrup brings the classic gingerbread flavor to the cocktail.
- Gingerbread cookies: Crushed and used as a garnish, they add a bit of crunch and reinforce the gingerbread theme.
Homemade Gingerbread Syrup
Now, you could use fresh ginger and whole spics, but I love using ground spices. It makes a flavor that’s instantly reminiscent of gingerbread cookies.
The ingredients include ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, black pepper, and cloves along with sugar, blackstrap molasses for depth, and vanilla extract for smooth sweetness.
Method
- Mix water, spices, sugar, vanilla, and molasses in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, then turn off the heat and let the syrup cool and the spices steep for a rich flavor.
- Strain the ginger syrup through a muslin cloth or coffee filter to remove the ground spices.
- Store the syrup in a sealed mason jar or an airtight container in the refrigerator.
The cocktail
- Dip the rim of a chilled martini glass in a little of simple syrup. Dip it into a plate of crushed gingerbread cookies to coat.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the vodka, Irish cream, milk, and gingerbread syrup.
- Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously until well-chilled.
- Strain the mixture into a martini glass.
- Garnish with crushed gingerbread cookies on the rim of the glass.
To make it extra fancy, garnish with whipped cream if you like, and serve with a cinnamon stick or a sprinkling of cinnamon.
Variations of this festive cocktail
If you enjoyed this festive gingerbread martini, here are some variations to try next time!
- Gingerbread White Russian: Replace the milk with heavy cream and add a splash of coffee liqueur for a twist on the classic cocktail.
- Christmas Gingerbread Cookie Martini: Use vanilla vodka instead of regular vodka for added depth of flavor.
- Non-Alcoholic Version: Skip the vodka and Irish cream, and mix the gingerbread syrup with milk and a dash of cinnamon. This makes a delicious Christmas mocktail.
The gingerbread syrup is just so delicious in a lot of cocktails! Try it in espresso martinis, a paloma or add it to this apple cider bourbon smash!
Gingerbread Martini
The Gingerbread Cocktail recipe has a wonderful gingerbread flavor and embodies the essence of this time of year.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz / 45 ml vodka
- 1 1/2 oz / 45 ml Baileys Irish cream
- 2 oz / 60 ml milk
- 1/2 oz gingerbread syrup
- Ice
- Crushed gingerbread cookies to rim the glass
Instructions
- Dip the rim of a martini glass in a little of simple syrup. Dip it into a plate of crushed gingerbread cookies to coat.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the vodka, Irish cream, milk, and gingerbread syrup.
- Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously until well-chilled.
- Strain the mixture into the prepared glass.
Notes
Gingerbread Syrup
- 240 g / 1 cup water
- 200 g / 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon blackstrap or dark molasses
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Into a medium saucepan, mix the water, spices, sugar, vanilla and molasses.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, turn off the heat and let the syrup cool and the spices steep. Leave the spices in as long as you can for the richest gingebread flavor.
- Once cooled, strain the syrup through a muslin cloth or coffee filter to remove the ground spices.
- Store the syrup in a sealed mason jar or an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 553Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 128mgCarbohydrates: 85gFiber: 0gSugar: 59gProtein: 3g
