What is creamy, dreamy and tastes oh so good? This indulgent cocktail, Bailey’s Irish Cream and Vodka Martini with a touch of cream, hits all the notes. This is a perfect cocktail for the Holiday season or simply when you want to have a dessert-like cocktail with all the frills like a chocolate or a peppermint sugar rim.

Irish cream and vodka martinis in coupe glasses with chocolate garnish — Irish Cream and Vodka Martini with chocolate sugar rim and chocolate shavings.

This cocktail is one ingredient away from a Baileys White Russian. That recipe includes coffee liqueur in addition to milk. Our version is a little boozier with more Baileys Irish creme and vodka with a tiny splash of cream. This cocktail is best served chilled with some nice garnishes and you are set!

Ingredients for Irish Cream and Vodka Martini
Garnishes for this festive cocktail
- How to sugar rim the glass for the cocktail
What is Irish Cream?
Let’s make an Irish Cream and Vodka Martini!
Holiday variation of the Irish Cream and Vodka Martini
Festive Holiday Cocktails

Ingredients for Irish Cream and Vodka Martini

The ingredients for this delicious Irish Cream and Vodka Martini is enough for one large Martini glass or two smaller ones.

Ice cubes
Cocktail shaker
3 ounces of Irish cream liquor like Bailey’s
1 ounce of vodka
1/2 ounce of cream
Garnish of choice
1 Martini glass, coupe glass, or similar

Garnishes for this festive cocktail

One of my favorite parts of making this cocktail are the garnishes! The sky is the limit on this one as this cocktail is like dessert in a glass. Below is my list of favorite garnishes for this drink.

Shaved chocolate (white or dark chocolate)
Chocolate sugar rim
Chocolate-covered wafer cookies
Whipped cream
Maraschino cherry
Malted milk balls
Chocolate syrup

What is a sugar rim for cocktails?

Sugars for rimming glasses are incredibly popular and a delicious and beautiful way to garnish a cocktail glass. You add sugar to the rim of a glass or create a design with sugar. Sugars for rimming glasses are colorful and come in a wide variety of flavors. For this recipe, I used Chocolate sugar (link above in the ingredient list). In addition to flavored sugars, flavored salts are plentiful as well.

top view of Irish cream and vodka martini

How to sugar rim the glass for the cocktail

how to sugar rim a glass Irish cream and vodka martini — Dip the rim of the glass into the desired liquid

dip glass rim into sugar or salt — Dip the rim of the glass into the desired liquid

What is Irish Cream?

Irish creme is a liqueur that is Irish Whisky, cream, and sugar. It is on the sweeter side and we typically enjoy it as a dessert drink in coffee or on the rocks. It is used in a variety of cocktails and even sometimes in desserts and perfectly delicious. Aside from using Irish cream in conventional cocktails, the actual flavoring is trendy in coffee chains, like Dunkin’ Donuts and a popular coffee creamer flavor. This liqueur is most popular in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States.

Let’s make an Irish Cream and Vodka Martini!

This is the easiest cocktail to make. Using a cocktail shaker, add ice, Irish Cream, vodka and cream. Place the cap on the shaker and shake well. Carefully pour into sugared rimmed glass and add any additional garnishes you desire.

Holiday variation of the Irish Cream and Vodka Martini

How about using Bailey’s chocolate cream and peppermint vodka for this cocktail? Bailey’s introduced a Belgian chocolate version of their Irish cream and it’s just incredible in this cocktail. Garnish with a peppermint stick and a peppermint sugar rim.

Festive Holiday Cocktails

For the Holidays one thing is certain, I like cocktails that I normally don’t indulge in like a nice sparkling wine or French Champagne. In addition to this delicious concoction, I love my Pomegranate Blood Orange Cocktail and my Sparkling Raspberry Tequila Cocktail. Both festive and crowd-pleasers!

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