With the winter holidays comes a new season of cocktails. Whether you’re planning a festive family dinner, a wintery cocktail party, or just drinks with a few close friends, you want a special cocktail that reflects the essence of the season. These 18 winter white martinis are festive, look fantastic in a martini glass, taste amazing, and will have everyone asking the bartender (you) for the recipe.
1. White Christmas Martini
Are you dreaming of a White Christmas…Martini? We can’t wait to raise a glass and toast the holidays with the creamy, decadent martini that features white chocolate liqueur, vanilla vodka, and white creme de cacao. The half and half makes it extra creamy. We can’t decide if it’s a cocktail or a dessert dressed as a martini, but we’ll take at least one either way.
2. White Cranberry Martini
By Foodviva
This White Cranberry Martini offers refreshing, crisp flavors and looks beautiful in a chilled martini glass. Fresh lime juice makes all the difference when combined with white cranberry juice and vodka. This one is garnished with cranberry, but if you want to be extra festive, try sugared cranberries and a little sprig of rosemary. For a variation and extra punch of cranberry, try it with cranberry vodka.
3. Rum Chata White Christmas Martini
By Simple Joy
There are a lot of versions of the White Christmas Martini out there, but this one stands out because if includes one of our favorites – Rum Chata. It also contains sweetened condensed milk, so this one is definitely in the dessert martini category. The martini glass is also dipped in gold sugar for an extra festive touch.
4. White Chocolate Martini
This White Chocolate Martini looks like a wintery dream pouring from a cocktail shaker. Of all the wintery cocktail recipes out there, this one is pretty simple. Decadent Godiva liqueur, vodka, and whipping cream. Shake it vigorously over ice, then strain into a festive, frosted, and sugared martini glass. Pure perfection.
5. Frosted Pine Gibson Martini
If you’re not a fan of the overly-sweet holiday cocktails, the Frosted Pine Gibson Martini is a winter white martini for you. It starts with a martini marriage of gin and dry vermouth but then is enhanced with rosemary simple syrup and edible sparkle dust that makes it look pearlescent and festive. This martini is also garnished with cocktail onions, which you can skip if you want, but the little pearly onions look like snowballs as the creator of this cocktail notes. Who can resist that?
6. Peppermint White Christmas Martini
By Jena Howard
The frosty peppermint in this Peppermint White Christmas Martini is a noticeable nod to winter. Combined with vodka and white chocolate liqueur, we can’t imagine not feeling all warm and fuzzy after sipping on one of these. We also love the garnish on this: the martini glass rimmed in marshmallow fluff then dipped in colored sugar. The way it runs down the glass just a bit when you serve it is perfection.
7. Snowflake Martini
This version of a Snowflake Martini is another one in the mix that features a hint of peppermint in the recipe. In addition to vodka, white chocolate liqueur, and peppermint shops, this recipe also includes heavy cream. It is the holidays, so why not go all out and make a big batch of these for next winter get-together. The garnish for this is a nice thick rim of crystalized sugar that looks like ice for the perfect seasonal touch.
8. Cranberry Lemon Drop Martini
By Today
Citron vodka, freshly squeezed lemon juice, simple syrup, and white cranberry juice come together in a cocktail shaker for this frosty winter martini. It’s sweet, tart, and easy to sip. It’s also garnished with frozen cranberries, which help to keep the drink chilled once poured into a martini glass. If cranberries aren’t your thing, you could substitute frozen raspberries instead and have it be just as delicious.
9. Caramel Cinnamon Martini
Tis the season for a chilled martini that warms you from head to toe. If there’s a martini that’s up for the job, it’s this Caramel Cinnamon Martini. Caramel vodka, Rum Chata, milk (or substitute your favorite non-dairy plant-based milk), and a dash of cinnamon go into your shaker tin and come out as creamy, rich.,cinnamon scented treat. A hint of orange liqueur would also compliment the cinnamon well in this martini.
10. Mint Oreo Martinis
Cookies and milk are great for the kids, but sometimes the adults want a little treat of their own. The Mint Oreo Martini features creme de menthe, white creme de cacao, vanilla vodka, chocolate syrup, and of course, is garnished with everyone’s favorite chocolate sandwich cookie. We’re betting that even Santa wouldn’t mind if you left out one of these in a chilled martini glass instead of his usual milk and cookies as a snack.
11. Ginger Martini
By Skinnyms
Ginger is warm, a bit spicy, and takes on a wintry twist in this Ginger Martini. This recipe features a homemade ginger simple syrup, so you’ll want to head to the local grocery store and pick up some fresh ginger to make a big batch of the syrup ahead of time. Fresh squeezed lime juice balances out the ginger, and when shaken with ice, creates the ideal frosted winter white presentation in a martini glass.
12. Easy Lemon Drop Martini
It’s time to pucker up with this Easy Lemon Drop Martini. Along with the Citron Vodka, a nice pour of Cointreau, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and simple syrup make this a delightful martini with nice crisp flavors. Granulated sugar and lemon zest rim the glass for an extra dose of pucker and sweet with each sip.
13. Peppermint White Chocolate Martini
This Peppermint White Chocolate Martini is different from other similar ones on our list because it features a recipe where you mix it all together and heat it, almost like a made from scratch Irish Cream. This recipe makes a great gift because you can bottle it and give it without the ingredients separating. Besides, an entire bottle of martinis just sounds like a lot of fun waiting to happen on a cold winter night. Make an extra-large batch of this one. You’ll be glad that you did.
14. Sugar Cookie Martini
By Grand Baby
Sugar cookies with lots of sprinkles are a favorite treat this time of year. We love this grown-up version of a Sugar Cookie Martini that captures everything perfect and delicious about our favorite cookie and transforms it into something smooth, creamy, and so very sippable. The recipe includes Irish cream, white chocolate liqueur, vodka and is garnished with a rim of vanilla frosting and sprinkles. I’ll take my winter white dessert in a martini glass, please.
15. Rosewater Lemon Drop Martini
The presentation of this Rosewater Lemon Drop Martini is so elegant and perfect for any winter festivity. We love that this drink includes rosewater with such a light, delicate floral essence. The recipe also calls for agave syrup, but if you can’t find that, a plain simple syrup will definitely work in a pinch. The sugared rim and dried rose petals as a garnish are beautiful. Although the recipe doesn’t call for it, we think that adding or substituting elderflower liqueur, which is very popular right now, would also be just as delicious.
16. Best White Chocolate Christmas Martini
This White Chocolate Christmas Martini isn’t called the “Best” without good reason. I hope you’re not counting calories this holiday season because it’s all going to go out the window once the bartender hands you this. Rum and vodka combine with peppermint schnapps, half and half, and all sorts of chocolatey garnishes. You actually have to make a hot white chocolate sauce for this before making the martini, so plan on a little extra prep time with this recipe.
17. White Christmas Martini with Amaretto
Amaretto offers a mildly nutty bit of sweetness to this Christmas martini. Combined with Irish cream, this is definitely a decadent winter white treat for your cocktail party. Invite friends and family over to share a large batch of this, then serve the drinks in frosted martini glasses with a rim of frosting and pearly white sprinkles. This drink has a presentation that will rival your seasonal decorations.
18. White Chocolate Espresso Martini
The last winter white martini to make it onto our list is this White Chocolate Espresso Martini masterpiece. White chocolate liqueur, vodka, and a hefty shot of espresso that add a rich depth to this martini. They chose a nice, juicy strawberry as a garnish, but espresso beans or even cranberries would also work nicely.
Say Cheers with a Winter White Martini
Whether you prefer your martini shaken or stirred, these winter white martini recipes almost look too pretty to drink. Notice that we said “almost.” This year, skip the usual recipe for a winter white cosmo and go with a martini instead. We hope you enjoy this collection of recipes and can celebrate with friends and family and say cheers with these white winter drinks.
Winter White Martinis
- White Christmas Martini
- White Cranberry Martini
- Rum Chata White Christmas Martini
- White Chocolate Martini
- Frosted Pine Gibson Martini
- Peppermint White Christmas Martini
- Snowflake Martini
- Cranberry Lemon Drop Martini
- Caramel Cinnamon Martini
- Mint Oreo Martinis
- Ginger Martini
- Easy Lemon Drop Martini
- Peppermint White Chocolate Martini
- Sugar Cookie Martini
- Rosewater Lemon Drop Martini
- Best White Chocolate Christmas Martini
- White Christmas Martini with Amaretto
- White Chocolate Espresso Martini