It's been a favorite at our house for several years now, so once again I pass along the secret recipe to this way-cool holiday drink.

Sure there's the always-popular eggnog (spiked or not) that gets a lot of attention during the holidays. But might I recommend the Candy Cane Martini?  This festive cocktail has quickly become another staple of our holiday traditions, ranking right up there with the classic Tom and Jerry (which is another one of our holiday traditions-- you can read all about it HERE).

My wife, Katie, first found this Candy Cane Martini recipe a few years ago, and since then, we've been making them each season. And if you love anything peppermint, as I do, you'll no doubt enjoy this drink too. It's filled with classic holiday flavors, and even though it is a martini, it's not too strong, like some gin or vodka martinis can be.

This Candy Cane Martini is a pretty simple cocktail to make because it uses only three ingredients: Vanilla vodka, creme de cocoa and peppermint schnapps. You’ll need a classic cocktail shaker and some martini glasses in which to serve them. We even garnish the rim with some crushed candy canes to make sure our glasses are even more festive.

Here are the directions:

(You’ll want to increase these amounts proportionally to the number of drinks you’re making– double them for two, triple for three, etc.)

+ Fill the cocktail shaker with ice. 
+ Start with 1 1/4 ounces of vanilla vodka.
+ Add 3/4 oz of creme de cocoa. 
+ Then add 1 ounce of peppermint schnapps. 
+ Shake it up, pour into your martini glass, add a mini candy cane to the glass for garnish, and enjoy.

It’s a festive holiday cocktail that’s guaranteed to make your holiday celebrating merry and bright, and help you have a real cool 'yule. Cheers!

Listen to Curt St. John from 6 to 10 a.m. on Quick Country 96.5
and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 103.9 The Doc

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