Eggnog Espresso Martini with Rum

This eggnog espresso martini with rum is a luscious and festive homemade holiday cocktail. Made with your favorite eggnog, rum (or whiskey or vodka!), coffee liqueur (kahlua), cold brew, coffee, or espresso, vanilla, and cinnamon. The perfect spiked eggnog recipe to enjoy during the holiday season! Easily made dairy free by using vegan eggnog.

Nothing says “happy holidays” quite like a festive eggnog cocktail to sip while sitting next to your Christmas tree 😌🎄 It is the perfect December treat!

Espresso martinis have always been one of our favorite make-at-home cocktails. A go to drink that we often whip up after dinner or before a night on the town.

If you feel the same we also have a recipe for a Classic Espresso Martini (that can be made with instant coffee!), a Peppermint Mocha Espresso Martini, and a Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini that you’ll wanna check out!

These days, we’ve been enjoying this eggnog version cozied up next to the Christmas tree, playing games, or watching a holiday movie.

Over the past few years I’ve been diving a little deeper into some home bartending skills with cocktails like this Spiced Hibiscus Sour, and now this absolutely delightful eggnog espresso martini with rum!

Even if bartending really isn’t your thing, I promise you this espresso martini is super simple to make.

Probably easier than you think! And truly so satisfying to pour yourself one for a cozy night in. I’ll walk you through how to do it from start to finish in this blog post.

Why you’ll love this cocktail recipe

This spiked eggnog recipe is:

• Delightfully festive
• Laced with notes of coffee
• Creamy
• Easy to make
• Hinted with cinnamon and vanilla
• Luscious
• Perfect for the holidays
• Absolutely delicious!

Ingredients and substitutions

This spiked eggnog drink is made with just a handful of ingredients that you probably already have on hand this time of year.

It also has a few ingredients that can be swapped out for other ones, which I’ll detail below!

(If you’re already ready to get started, scroll all the way down to the bottom for the full recipe!)

Here’s what you need:

• Dark spiced rum – We absolutely love dark spiced rum in this cocktail, but you could easily swap it out for bourbon or vodka if that’s your preference!
• Kahlua – Kahlua adds a really lovely touch of cozy coffee flavor + a bit of sweetness. You could substitute another coffee liqueur, keeping in mind that not all are as sweet as Kahlua.
• Espresso – You could also use strong coffee, instant coffee, or cold brew concentrate, or leave the added coffee out altogether. Including it in this cocktail recipe definitely makes it feel like more of a “coffee” drink, but if you’re sensitive to caffeine or enjoying this drink late at night it is equally delicious without.
• Eggnog – Grab whatever your personal favorite eggnog is for this recipe – traditional eggnog or dairy free will both work!
• Vanilla extract – Another optional ingredient, but it does add a nice touch of fragrant vanilla to the martini.
• A pinch of salt – I know, salt in a cocktail? But hear me out. Salt is the great flavor balancer in cooking, and the same can be said for certain cocktails. The tiny pinch of salt in this cocktail balances all the other sweet and bitter flavors.
• Cinnamon – I think cinnamon pairs perfectly with the nutmeg that’s already in eggnog, but if you prefer you could substitute it with more nutmeg or just leave it out – totally up to you!

What tools do I need to make this cocktail?

To make this drink, you’ll need a few basic home bartending tools.

But if you don’t have all of them, don’t stress – there are workarounds that I’ll share below. 

These are the tools you’ll need to make this cocktail:

• A cocktail shaker
• A strainer – if your shaker doesn’t have one built in
• Something to measure the spirits and other ingredients with – This could either be a jigger or standard measuring spoons.

If you don’t have a cocktail shaker or a strainer, this article has some awesome solutions for missing pieces for the home mixologist.

How to make this eggnog espresso martini with rum

After gathering the ingredients, this drink is made in one easy step!

The recipe is for one cocktail, but some cocktail shakers should be able to fit a double batch.

You can adjust the amount of eggnog based on your preference and the size of your serving glass.

We used fairly large coupes but if you’re using a smaller glass reduce the amount of eggnog slightly so it will fit. Or just save whatever is left in the shaker for a top off when you’re ready 😉

Here’s the step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Gather the ingredients

Gather the rum, kahlua, coffee or espresso, eggnog, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, and bartending tools.

Step 2: Add all ingredients to cocktail shaker

Add all ingredients to the cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 15-30 seconds, until frothy and well chilled.

Step 3: Strain into a glass and serve!

Strain into a cocktail glass, top with cinnamon or nutmeg and a coffee bean or two, and serve!

What is the best rum for for eggnog?

Dark spiced rum is our favorite rum to mix with eggnog.

One of our favorites is The Kraken Black Spiced Rum, but this list has a ton of great suggestions!

When to serve this espresso eggnog martini

This cocktail is a lovely drink to enjoy around the holidays, and would be a delicious and festive for Christmas or New Years.

And of course, just perfect for a cozy night in snuggled up next to the Christmas tree 💫

Love this festive cocktail? Try these other NK cocktail recipes!

• Peppermint Mocha Espresso Martini
• Classic Espresso Martini
• Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini
• Spiced Hibiscus Vodka Sour
• Spiced Apple and Tangerine Spritz
• Jungle Bird Cocktail
• Red Wine Tangerine Spritz

If you enjoyed this recipe we’d love it if you take 5 seconds to rate and review it below. It’s also super helpful to me and other readers if you share any changes you made to the recipe. Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK 🙏🏼 We are so grateful you’re here!

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