Chocolate Martini
Vodka, dark crème de cacao and a little cream, shaken cold. A pudding in a glass, not too sweet.
- Time
- 5 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Glass
- Martini glass
- Strength
- 2.2 UK units
How to make a Chocolate Martini
- Chill and rim the glass. Fill a martini glass with ice and water to chill it. For a cocoa rim, tip it out, wet the outer edge with a drop of crème de cacao and press it gently into a saucer of cocoa powder.
- Shake. Pour the vodka, crème de cacao and cream into a shaker, fill it with ice and shake hard for 15 seconds, until the tin is frosted and the cream is well mixed.
- Strain. Strain into the chilled glass. The drink should be smooth, pale brown and a little frothy on top.
- Garnish and serve. Grate a little dark chocolate over the top and serve straight away.
- Glass
- Martini glassNo martini glass? A coupe.
- Ice
- No ice
- Garnish
- Grated dark chocolate, or a cocoa-dusted rimOr: Leave it plain.
What you need to make a Chocolate Martini
Kit
JiggerA double-ended measure, usually 25 ml and 50 ml.
Cocktail shakerA two-piece Boston tin is the easiest to use and clean.
StrainerA Hawthorne strainer fits over the tin or glass.
Bottles we'd use
- Dark crème de cacaoBols or Giffard Crème de Cacao Brune: a true chocolate flavour. Cheaper brands are sweeter and thinner.Find it on Amazon
- A smooth vodkaAbsolut or Smirnoff No. 21: clean and neutral, so the chocolate leads.Find it on Amazon
- A chocolate liqueurFor the richer variation, a creamy chocolate liqueur such as Mozart Chocolate Cream.Find it on Amazon
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Chocolate Martini variations and swaps
For a richer drink, replace the crème de cacao and cream with 50 ml of a creamy chocolate liqueur and use 40 ml of vodka, then taste it. Vanilla vodka makes it softer and sweeter. Add 30 ml of cold espresso and an extra 10 ml of vodka for a mocha version, though at that point you are halfway to an Espresso Martini. Use white crème de cacao for a paler drink with the same flavour. Single cream or whole milk makes a lighter martini, and a drop of vanilla extract works with either.
The Chocolate Martini story
The Chocolate Martini borrows its name and its glass from the Martini, and like most drinks of its kind it has no single known inventor. Vodka-based dessert drinks served in a martini glass are a modern bar style, and chocolate is one of the obvious flavours to use.
This home version uses three ingredients. Vodka gives the strength, dark crème de cacao brings the chocolate and a little sugar, and double cream makes it smooth and rounds off the edges. Shake it hard so the cream turns silky and the drink is properly cold. Serve it small, as you would a pudding.
Chocolate Martini: your questions answered
What is in a Chocolate Martini?
A Chocolate Martini is made with 40 ml vodka, 30 ml dark crème de cacao and 20 ml double cream. Garnish: grated dark chocolate, or a cocoa-dusted rim.
Is a Chocolate Martini shaken or stirred?
A Chocolate Martini is shaken, not stirred. Shaking hard with ice chills it quickly and helps whip the egg or cream into a light texture, which stirring cannot do. Shake until the outside of the shaker feels very cold.
How strong is a Chocolate Martini?
Made to this recipe, a Chocolate Martini contains about 2.2 UK units of alcohol per drink. That is worked out from typical bottle strengths, so it changes with the bottles you use. UK guidelines advise not regularly drinking more than 14 units a week.
What glass do you serve a Chocolate Martini in?
Serve a Chocolate Martini in a martini glass. No martini glass? A coupe.
