Featured Cocktail: Black Forest Martini

🍒 The Black Forest Martini

A cocktail as dramatic and delicious as a letter from Annie Oakley

Inspired by a chocolate cherry cordial—and made even better with a little creative improvisation—this cocktail tastes like dessert in a glass. It's rich, smooth, slightly boozy, and totally sip-worthy.

We served this up in Manic Joy Episode 128 while diving into History By Mail, which means this one pairs perfectly with a good story and a little nostalgia.

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Ingredients

• 1.5 oz vanilla vodka

• 1 oz crème de cacao (or chocolate liqueur of your choice)

• 1 oz cherry liqueur (we used Luxardo)

• 0.5 oz Baileys Salted Caramel (or a splash of cream if you're feeling classic)

• Ice

• Maraschino cherry (for garnish—bonus points if it's the fancy kind)

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Instructions

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.

2. Add vanilla vodka, crème de cacao, cherry liqueur, and Baileys.

3. Shake until well chilled (about 15–20 seconds).

4. Strain into a chilled martini glass.

5. Garnish with a maraschino cherry on a toothpick—hidden inside if you're feeling mischievous.

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Optional Upgrade

Feeling extra? Add a drizzle of chocolate syrup around the inside of your martini glass before pouring. Or top with a few chocolate shavings for dessert-drink decadence.

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This is one of those drinks that makes you want to float in a pool, write a letter to the president, and say, “God bless me, it’s summer.”