Photo Terry Brennan, styling Lara Miklasevics
Relax with a spirited sweet after dinner this holiday season or serve them at a cocktail party. Dessert cocktails can stand in for sweets or you can try these classic drinks alongside chocolate candies and cookies such as the decorated sugar varieties, gingerbread, snowball cookies, and more. Shake things up and also sip these cocktails while enjoying the traditional yule log cake, cheesecake, and other goodies—plus experiment and discover your favorite pairings. Cheers!
Grasshopper
This classic creamy after-dinner treat is like a chocolate-mint cookie in a glass. It’s said New Orleans restaurant bar owner Philibert Guichet created it in his French Quarter establishment, Tujague, in 1918 and went on to win second prize in a noteworthy New York cocktail competition with this drink. It then gained popularity during the 1950s and ’60s.
To Make: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, and add 1 ounce green crème de menthe liqueur, 1 ounce white crème de cacao, 1 ounce heavy cream, and 1 ounce milk. Shake and fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a mint leaf, if desired.
Sugar Cookie Martini
Vanilla vodka, amaretto, and Irish cream combine to create flavors of the holiday favorite cookie. Deck the glass with sprinkles and an optional dip in frosting first for an extra sweet and festive boost.
To Make: Prepare a cocktail glass by either dipping the rim in Irish cream or spreading prepared vanilla frosting around the rim, then dip the rim in your choice of sprinkles and set aside. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, and add 1½ ounces vanilla vodka, 1½ ounces Irish cream liqueur, 1 ounce amaretto liqueur, and a splash of whole milk or cream, if desired. Shake and strain into the prepared glass.
Mudslide
The Irish cream adds richness and a little spice to this dessert in a glass that tastes like a milkshake for grownups.
To Make: Drizzle either 1 ounce melted dark chocolate or chocolate syrup inside a martini cocktail glass or rocks glass along the rim and set aside. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, and add 1 ounce vodka, 1 ounce coffee liqueur (such as Kahlúa), and 1½ ounces Irish cream liqueur. Shake and strain into the prepared glass—either over ice cubes or without, depending on preference. Garnish with chocolate crumbles or shavings, if desired.
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