If you’re hosting the cocktail party this holiday season, you need something more sophisticated than the standard hot chocolate bar. This Peppermint Mocha Espresso Martini turns the beloved espresso martini into a seasonal showstopper without dumping a bottle of peppermint syrup into the mix. We’re talking about a balanced vodka cocktail that actually tastes like you know what you’re doing behind the bar.
What Is a Peppermint Mocha Espresso Martini?
Quick Answer: The Peppermint Mocha Espresso Martini is a holiday variation of the espresso martini that layers vodka, coffee liqueur, crème de cacao, and peppermint schnapps with fresh espresso and cream.
London bartender Dick Bradsell created the classic espresso martini in the 1980s at Soho Brasserie when a model asked for a drink that would energize and inebriate in equal measure. This winter version swaps the simple syrup for peppermint schnapps and adds white crème de cacao for that mocha profile—giving you all the caffeine and sophistication with a seasonal twist.
What you’ll love about this recipe:
What You Need to Make a Peppermint Mocha Espresso Martini
How to Make a Peppermint Mocha Espresso Martini
- Pour the chocolate syrup onto a small plate and spread the crushed peppermint candy onto a second plate. Dip each martini glass rim into the chocolate syrup, then press the coated rim into the crushed peppermint. Set aside.
- Add 3 ounces of vodka, 1½ ounces of Kahlúa, 1 ounce of white crème de cacao, 1 ounce of peppermint schnapps, 2 ounces of cooled espresso, and 1 ounce of half and half to your cocktail shaker.
- Fill the shaker with ice and secure the lid tightly. Shake hard for 15 to 20 seconds—you want that cream to emulsify and create foam.
- Strain into your prepared glasses. The foam should sit on top with those signature tiny bubbles. Garnish each drink with 3 coffee beans arranged in a triangle.
Bartender’s Tips
- Cool your espresso completely before mixing. If you add hot or warm espresso to ice, you’ll get a watered-down mess. Brew it, then stick it in the fridge or pour it over an ice bath until it’s room temperature or colder.
- Shake longer than you think you need to. That 15-20 second shake window isn’t a suggestion. You need that aggressive shake to create the foam layer that makes an espresso martini worth photographing.
- Try dark rum instead of vodka. If you want deeper molasses notes that play up the mocha flavor, swap the vodka for a quality dark rum. The coffee and chocolate components work beautifully with aged spirits.
- Go darker with the chocolate if you’re a chocolate person. White crème de cacao keeps this elegant, but if you want a more pronounced chocolate hit, use dark chocolate liqueur instead.
- Skip the schnapps for a lower-proof version. Replace the peppermint schnapps with peppermint simple syrup. You’ll still get the flavor but with less alcohol—useful if you’re making several rounds.
How to Serve This Peppermint Mocha Espresso Martini
Serve this in chilled coupe glasses or traditional martini glasses—the wide rim shows off that peppermint candy detail. This is an after-dinner cocktail or a pre-dinner statement drink, not something you’re sipping poolside in July. Make these for holiday parties, Christmas Eve gatherings, or anytime you want to show guests you actually know how to make something beyond a vodka soda. The coffee beans arranged in a triangle on top aren’t optional—they’re the signature garnish.
More Cocktail Recipes
Love espresso cocktails? Check out our complete guide to classic espresso martinis or try our eggnog espresso martini recipe for another coffee-forward option.
Join our Facebook group to share your espresso martini variations with other cocktail enthusiasts, or sign up for our weekly newsletter—we send it out every Friday at happy hour with a new recipe and bartending tips.
Peppermint Mocha Espresso Martini
Ingredients
For the rim:
- Chocolate syrup
- Crushed peppermint candy or candy cane
For the cocktails:
- 3 ounces vodka
- 1½ ounces Kahlúa
- 1 ounce white crème de cacao
- 1 ounce peppermint schnapps
- 2 ounces freshly brewed espresso cooled
- 1 ounce half and half or heavy cream
- 6 whole coffee beans for garnish
Instructions
- Pour chocolate syrup onto a small plate. Spread crushed peppermint candy on a second plate. Dip each glass rim into the chocolate syrup, then press into the crushed peppermint.
- Add vodka, Kahlúa, crème de cacao, peppermint schnapps, cooled espresso, and half and half to a cocktail shaker.
- Fill shaker with ice and secure lid. Shake hard for 15 to 20 seconds.
- Strain into prepared glasses. Garnish each with 3 coffee beans.
Notes
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Use strong cold brew concentrate or make a double-strength pour-over coffee and cool it completely. The flavor won’t be as intense as actual espresso, but it works in a pinch.
You can scale the ingredients and mix the vodka, coffee liqueur, crème de cacao, and peppermint schnapps in a pitcher. Keep it chilled. Brew and chill the espresso separately. When you’re ready to serve, pour one portion of the base and one portion of espresso into a shaker with ice and shake each drink individually—you need that fresh shake for the foam.
Two reasons: either your espresso wasn’t fresh enough or you didn’t shake hard enough. Fresh espresso (or very strong cold brew) creates oils that emulsify with the cream when you shake aggressively. If you’re not seeing foam, shake harder and longer.
Not recommended. Peppermint extract is far too concentrated and will make your drink taste like toothpaste. If you want to reduce alcohol, make a peppermint simple syrup by adding a few drops of extract to simple syrup and adjusting to taste.
Both taste like chocolate, but white crème de cacao is clear and keeps your drink looking clean and elegant. Dark crème de cacao has a deeper chocolate flavor and will make your martini darker and slightly cloudier. It’s your preference—both work.
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