Cocktail of the Day: Liza’s Chocolate Martini

I do not abide by our tagline. This martini has no gin. (You know what you did. Go clean the unicorn stables. ~ed.)

The perfection of this chocolate martini recipe took quite a few revisions. Initially, it came from a restaurant my parents visited on vacation — my mother ordered one and it was so great that she asked the bartender for the recipe. Some little tweaks over the years have turned this into a rich, creamy drink that packs a wallop without a strong boozey taste. It’s like a nice dessert, except it gets you hammered. You can switch out the exact kinds of chocolate and coffee liqueurs as well as the brand of vanilla vodka, but to my taste, the ones listed yield the most delicious results. You can also choose regular milk instead of half and half, but it won’t be as rich. Vegans: I have not tried this with a dairy substitute. If you do, please leave a comment and let us know how it went!

Chocolate Martini:

• 2 shots Godiva chocolate liqueur
• 1 shot Frangelico
• 1 shot Starbucks coffee liqueur
• 1 1/2 shots Absolut Vanilla vodka
• 2 shots half and half
• Optional garnish: Either chocolate syrup or chocolate shavings

Instructions:

1. If you are using chocolate syrup, drizzle some in the bottom of a chilled martini glass.
2. Combine all the liqueurs, vodka, and half and half in a shaker with ice.
3. Shake and pour.
4. If you are using chocolate shavings, sprinkle some on top.