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Creamy gingerbread martini with a honey and gingerbread cookie crumb rim, surrounded by gingerbread cookies and holiday lights.
AGT Editorial Team

Gingerbread Martini with Homemade Gingerbread Syrup

A creamy Christmas cocktail with vanilla vodka, Irish cream, homemade gingerbread syrup and a honey-and-cookie rim. Shake one drink in five minutes once the syrup is chilled.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings: 1 cocktail
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Calories:
Ingredients Equipment Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

For one martini
  • 1 ½ fluid ounces vanilla vodka
  • 1 fluid ounce Irish cream liqueur such as Baileys Original
  • ¾ fluid ounce gingerbread syrup chilled; see the homemade batch in the notes
  • ½ fluid ounce heavy cream cold
  • ice for shaking
For the rim
  • 1 teaspoon honey approximately; enough for a thin ring on a small plate
  • 1 tablespoon finely crushed gingerbread cookies approximately; use more as needed to coat the rim

Equipment

  • Cocktail Shaker with strainer
  • Jigger or small liquid measuring cup
  • 1 Martini or coupe glass at least 6 ounces
  • Small saucepan for the syrup

Method
 

  1. Chill a martini or coupe glass. Spread the honey in a thin ring on a small plate and place the cookie crumbs on a second plate. Dip the rim lightly into the honey, then into the crumbs.
  2. Add the vanilla vodka, Irish cream, chilled gingerbread syrup and cold cream to a cocktail shaker. Swirl briefly to blend the syrup, then add a generous handful of ice. Seal and shake vigorously for 15–20 seconds, until the shaker feels very cold.
  3. Strain into the prepared glass and serve immediately. For a sweeter drink with more gingerbread flavor, add another ¼ fluid ounce of syrup to the shaker before straining.

Video

Notes

Homemade gingerbread syrup: Combine 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves and ¼ teaspoon ground allspice in a small saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and cool completely before using. For a smoother texture, strain through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth. Yield is approximately 1–1¼ cups, depending on evaporation and straining. Refrigerate in a clean, covered container and use within one week. Stir or shake before measuring.
Timing: The five-minute recipe time assumes prepared, chilled syrup. Allow about 5 minutes to measure the syrup ingredients, 10 minutes to simmer, and additional time to cool completely. The syrup is a separate batch; you only need ¾ fluid ounce for one cocktail.
Syrup adjustment: Start with ¾ fluid ounce; increase to 1 fluid ounce if desired. With a concentrated store-bought syrup, start with ½ fluid ounce and adjust to taste.
Four drinks: Combine 6 fluid ounces vanilla vodka, 4 fluid ounces Irish cream, 3 fluid ounces chilled syrup and 2 fluid ounces cream. Keep refrigerated, stir well, and shake individual portions with ice just before serving. Prepare the rims close to serving.
Substitutions: Half-and-half makes a lighter drink. For a dairy-free version, use a dairy-free cream liqueur and plant-based cream; check the cookies too. Standard Irish cream contains dairy. Plain vodka works with a drop or two of vanilla extract.