CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY MARTINI Redeux

I love chocolate covered strawberries and, because I do, one of the first cocktail recipes I ever created was this chocolate strawberry martini. I got to enjoy my favorite dessert as a cocktail and it started me on my mission of creating culinary cocktails for as many of those ubiquitous food holidays as possible.

For me those food holidays do serve a purpose beyond promoting some food or business, they inspire new cocktail recipes. Interestingly enough (though there are Chocolate Covered Anything, Nuts and even Raisins Days) there is no Chocolate Strawberry Day, no Chocolate Covered Strawberry Day, not even a Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Day.

Bah-freaking-humbug! 

Therefore, in honor of my mom who loved chocolate strawberries and since someone has already created a fake food holiday and gotten away with it, I declare August 29th (Mom's birthday) Chocolate Strawberry Day!

My original recipe for this cocktail was very sweet and lacked complexity so, to celebrate this new (entirely legit) food holiday, I've remastered this chocolate strawberry cocktail. I added a perky herbal touch of very dry vermouth and some extra depth with some chocolate bitters. It's still a sweet cocktail, but now it's got some character.

The

CHOCOLATESTRAWBERRYMartini(Yes, I'm still gonna call it a martini, deal with it.)
INGREDIENTS2 Oz. Pinnacle Strawberry Vodka2 Oz. Bols White Creme de Cacao1/2 Oz. Martini & Rossi Extra Dry Vermouth1 (+/-) Tbsp. Simple Syrup*Dash White Pepper3 Dashes Scrappy's Chocolate Bitters4 - 5 Pureed Strawberries
GARNISH: 1 Large Chocolate Covered Strawberry
DIRECTIONSAdd the fresh strawberries to your blender and puree.Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, add the pureed strawberries, strawberry vodka, white creme de cacao, vermouth, white pepper and the bitters.Shake until chilled.Strain** into your chilled cocktail glass and garnish with the chocolate covered strawberry.
VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:

* COCKTAIL TIP: Strawberries can run a gamut of sweet intensity so you might want to taste your cocktail as you add the simple syrup to check the sweetness. An easy way to taste a cocktail to insert a straw into the mixture and hold your finger over the top of the straw then lift the straw to your mouth and drop some of the cocktail on your tongue. By not touching the straw to your mouth you can reinsert it to taste again.

** I single strain (just through the cocktail shaker strainer) because I don't mind the pulp and the seeds from the strawberries. Feel free to double strain through a fine mesh strainer if you prefer a pulp and seed free drink.

National Chocolate Covered Anything Day is December 16th and - now - National Chocolate Strawberry Day is August 29th.

Updated 8-2021

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