Candy Corn Martini

This layered Candy Corn Martini, made with candy corn-infused vodka, is a delicious, colorful and festive cocktail for fall! With mango puree, orange juice, Cointreau and vanilla whipped cream, it tastes just like a boozy orange creamsicle.

This drink is just as delicious as it is cute. It's the perfect drink for any Halloween party!

Candy corn is a little bit of a controversial candy, but when you infuse vodka with it, the vodka takes on a vanilla and marshmallow flavor. It goes so perfectly with the mango, orange juice and liqueurs in this drink.

Looking for more Halloween themed cocktails? Check out The Black Heart, a smoky raspberry cocktail, or this Black and White Rum Cocktail for a seasonal rum-based drink. Or, the Halloween Margarita is super delicious and festive!

Ingredients

Here is what you'll need to whip up this layered cocktail.

For the yellow layer (bottom), you'll need mango nectar and Licor 43, a specialty vanilla-flavored sweet liqueur.

For the orange layer (middle), you'll need vodka infused with candy corn, orange juice and Cointreau liqueur. (See below on how to infuse the vodka!)

The white layer (top) is whipped cream. If you're going to make it from scratch, grab some heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract.

Then, just grab some candy corn for garnishing!

How do you layer a cocktail?

Layering a cocktail is all about the specific gravity of different liquids. Basically, this means that liquids with a lot of things (usually sugar) dissolved in them are denser and heavier than plain water, and will sink. Also, alcohol is lighter than water, and floats on top of it.

The top layer of whipped cream will float easily, since the air pockets in the cream make it much lighter and less dense.

The orange and yellow layers are a little more challenging. The main thing to keep in mind is that the most sugary things go on the bottom. There is more sugar in the yellow layer, and more alcohol in the orange layer.

When you're pouring the drink into the serving glass, pour it onto the back of a spoon held close to the drink's surface, and let it flow into the glass gently. This technique will help stop the layers from mixing as you pour.

Substitutions

Don't have one of the ingredients? If you're making substitutions in this drink, just remember that the most sugary things go in the bottom layer, the middle layer has more alcohol and less sugar, and the top layer is whipped with air.

• Mango nectar - if you don't have mango nectar, you can make homemade mango nectar using mango puree and simple syrup. Or, if you only have orange juice, you can make an orange nectar by combining one part orange juice with one part simple syrup.
• Licor 43 - you can substitute this by mixing together one part vodka with one part simple syrup, and add a dash of vanilla extract to taste. It won't be quite the same, but it will work in the drink.
• Cointreau - you can use a different brand of Triple Sec or Orange Curaçao, but only use half of the amount if you want the layers to stay distinct. Other brands of orange liqueur tend to have more sugar than Cointreau, which makes the liquid more dense and more likely to sink to the bottom.
• Whipped cream - just use a can of whipped cream if you won't be making your own. If you are avoiding dairy, you can make whipped cream using coconut cream, or use a store-bought dairy free whipped cream.

Equipment

To make this drink, you'll need a serving glass (Martini glass), two heavy-bottomed glasses, a strainer, and a bar spoon for stirring and then pouring the layers. I love my bar spoon and Julep strainer from A Bar Above!

If you're making your own whipped cream, you'll also need a bowl and either a whisk or hand mixer. Or, a whipped cream dispenser is great to have on hand!

How to make Candy Corn Vodka

Making candy corn-infused vodka is so easy! Besides the vodka and candy corn, you'll need a glass container, a strainer and funnel, and a resealable bottle for storage.

Start out by adding your vodka to an airtight container. Glass is preferable to use for this, because some plastics will react with alcohol. I love using this chalkboard jar, since it is easy to label and keep track of what you're making.

Add your candy corn to the vodka, making sure that all of the candy is submerged in the liquid.

Seal up the container and let it sit for 12 to 24 hours. You can occasionally shake it up to help the infusion along. If you want it to go faster, you can break up the candy corn into smaller pieces and shake it more often.

Then, set the funnel into your storage bottle. Pour the infused vodka through a fine mesh strainer and through the funnel. Seal it up, and store it at room temperature until you're ready to use it.

Instructions

If you're making your own whipped cream, start making this cocktail by combining the cream with the vanilla and powdered sugar. Once it's combined, either pour it into a whipped cream dispenser, or whip it with a whisk or hand mixer until you have soft peaks. Set it aside.

In a heavy-bottomed glass, combine the mango nectar and the Licor 43 together.

In a separate glass, combine the candy corn-infused vodka, the Cointreau and the orange juice.

Add ice to each glass, and stir them to chill and dilute the liquids.

Strain the yellow layer liquid (mango and Licor 43) into your serving glass, being careful to pour only into the center of the glass so you don't get any splashes on the sides.

Then, hold your bar spoon close to the liquid in the serving glass with the rounded side facing up, and slowly and carefully pour the orange layer liquid (candy corn-infused vodka, orange juice and Cointreau) into the glass. The slower you can pour, the more of a separation you'll get in the final drink.

Dispense your whipped cream to make a white layer on top. If you whipped the cream in a bowl, you can transfer it to a piping bag with a star tip, or just use a spoon to add it onto the cocktail.

Finally, add a few candy corn pieces to the top as a garnish, and serve.

Hint: if you want to make sure your martini glass will be full when the drink is assembled, measure how much liquid each glass holds. The glasses pictured above hold about 6½ ounces of liquid, which worked well for this recipe.

Top tip

If you are making these drinks for a crowd, you can pre-mix the different colored layers in separate pitchers. Keep the pitchers in the fridge, and when you're ready to assemble the drinks, measure and pour the bottom layers and then the top layers.