One sip of this eye-catching cocktail and you won’t mind sipping a little faster! Served in a ball of ice on a stainless martini glass, it’s a chillingly delicious white chocolate liqueur with a crisp touch of mint vodka. Almond milk gives it a smooth, creamy finish.
Sometimes, what you put your drink IN is as important as what you put IN your drink. In the case of these snowball cocktails, you really can’t get much more wow factor than this!
A note: make your first attempt at these ice balls a few days ahead of your party so you’re sure you’ve got it down. They’ll stay in the freezer until you need them. Try a practice drink a couple days before so you’re confident!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
Ice Balls: (make these in advance) Small balloons (ones that, when filled with water, would be roughly five inches around. Directions below.)
(Common sense caution: please note that people with an allergy to latex should not consume drinks that have come into contact with some types of balloons. Always make sure to ask your guests if they have any allergies to latex if you serve this coctkail.)
Stainless Steel Martini glasses for serving (and freezing the ice balls)
A Funnel for pouring the pre-mixed drink into the ice ball.
Straws
White Chocolate Liqueur (I used Godiva)
Peppermint Vodka (I used Smirnoff. If you can’t find peppermint vodka you can use peppermint Schnapps)
Vanilla Flavored Almond Milk
Rosemary, as a garnish
A colorful straw. (I like a red and white striped one to remind folks that it’s minty holiday peppermint stick goodness!
WHAT YOU DO: A DAY OR MORE IN ADVANCE: A few days before you plan to serve, clear some space in your freezer. You’ll want enough room to freeze your water balloon right on top of a martini glass in the freezer.
FILL your balloons with water until they are four inches around. (They will expand as they freeze.)
PLACE each balloon on its own martini glass and set in the freezer. (You can always do one or two at a time if you can’t do them all at once.)
WAIT at least three hours… Then carefully check the condition of the ice forming in the balloons every hour or so. Depending on your freezer, its temperature, and the amount of water in the balloons, the timing can really vary. The tops of the balloons generally don’t freeze as fast, so as the bottoms and sides start to solidify you’ll actually be able to press against the top and feel the inside to see how thick the ice is. You want the ice ball sides to be at least 1/2 inch thick, so they don’t crack and melt immediately after you pour in your drink. It took my balloons SIX HOURS to reach this point. At this stage, your balloons will feel solid on the outside, but have visible liquid on the inside.
WHEN THE BALLOONS REACH the point where the ice is about 1/2 inch thick, carefully cut the top of the balloon so you can empty out remaining water, leaving a hollow ice ball. (If the top of your balloon ice is slightly frozen over, (as some of mine were) use a metal drink stirrer or tip of a utensil to lightly tap a hole into it. (Heating the tip of the stirrer if necessary.) The balloons are now formed to the shape of the martini glass on the bottom, so you can pull them off the glass if you need the space.
PUT THE BALLOON ICE BALLS back in the freezer. They will have gotten slightly wet and the insides can refreeze, now hollow, and be ready for when your guests arrive. (I have even left the balloons still on them, tips cut off but the rest remaining – just to protect them until the very last minute.)
ON THE DAY OF YOUR PARTY… MAKE YOUR DRINK!
KEEP THE ICE BALLS IN THE FREEZER WHILE YOU MAKE THE DRINK. KEEP THE ICE AS FROZEN AS POSSIBLE UNTIL SERVING.
If you haven’t already, remove the balloon, place the ice ball back onto your martini glass. (OPTIONAL: To emphasize a snowball effect, you can put a ‘bed’ of shredded coconut onto the glass too.) Keep the ice ball in the freezer until the last minute.
In a shaker or glass, combine:
2 ounces White Chocolate Liqueur
1 ounce peppermint vodka
6 ounces vanilla flavored almond milk
Stir the above ingredients, then gently funnel your drink into the ice ball. (THE COOLER THIS DRINK IS BEFORE YOU PUT IT INTO THE ICE BALL THE BETTER – IT PREVENTS CRACKING!) Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and serve with a straw. (You may need to cut the straw shorter so it stays put!)
Note: you’d be surprised to see how long an ice ball will last – your guest may get another round out of one ball – but keep in mind that they don’t last forever and shouldn’t be left unattended if you’re worried about melting liquids. That said, everyone who gets one is pretty well aware of how ice works! They’ll be sure to drink it right up!
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