Jolly Rancher Martini Recipes: 8 Fun Flavors

Remember the sweet-tart flavor of Jolly Rancher candy from when you were a kid? Now, think about the boozy grown-up version of the Jolly Rancher in martini form. Purists might argue that a martini contains only gin or vodka and vermouth, but surely even a traditionalist would enjoy these Jolly Rancher martini recipes. With mouthwatering flavors like apple, cinnamon, and watermelon, they evoke the flavor of childhood Jolly Rancher candies with a grown up twist.

1. Apple Pucker Jolly Rancher Martini

Apple is one of Jolly Rancher's original candy flavors, and the sweet tart taste of the candy comes through in this juicy sweet and sour apple flavored martini.

Ingredients

• 1 ounce Dekuyper Sour Apple Pucker schnapps
• 1 ounce peach schnapps
• 4 ounces cranberry juice
• Ice
• Apple slice for garnish

Ingredients

1. Chill a martini glass.
2. In a cocktail shaker, combine the Apple Pucker, peach schnapps, and cranberry juice.
3. Add ice and shake.
4. Strain into the chilled glass.
5. Garnish with apple slices.

2. Watermelon Jolly Rancher Martini

Watermelon was another of Jolly Rancher's original flavors. If watermelon is your favorite type of Jolly Rancher candy, then this is the mouthwatering martini for you.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces watermelon liqueur
• 1 ounce amaretto
• 1 ounce cranberry juice
• 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
• Ice
• Lime wheel and cherry for garnish

Instructions

1. Chill a cocktail glass.
2. In a cocktail shaker, combine the watermelon liqueur, amaretto, cranberry juice, and lime juice.
3. Add the ice and shake.
4. Strain into the chilled cocktail glass.
5. Garnish with a lime wheel and cherry.

3. Fire Stix Jolly Rancher Martini

One of the original Jolly Rancher flavors was Fire Stix, a sweet and fiery cinnamon flavored candy. Today, Jolly Rancher still offers a cinnamon hard candy, although it's called Cinnamon Fire. Whatever you call it, this is a spicy cinnamon martini that's sure to set your tongue aflame.

Ingredients

• ¾ ounce grenadine
• 1 ounce cranberry juice
• 2 ounces Fireball whiskey
• Ice
• 1 Jolly Rancher cinnamon fire candy for garnish

Instructions

1. Chill a martini glass.
2. In a cocktail shaker, combine the grenadine, cranberry juice, and Fireball whiskey.
3. Add ice and shake.
4. Strain into the chilled martini glass.
5. Drop in the cinnamon fire candy as garnish.

4. Apple Jolly Rancher With Three Olives Vodka

When Three Olives introduced their Jacked Apple vodka, they gave cocktail fans another option for the Jolly Rancher. Substituting vodka for schnapps gives the cocktail a little more of a kick with slightly less sweetness.

Ingredients

• 1 ounce Three Olives Jacked Apple Vodka
• 1 ounce peach schnapps
• 4 ounces cranberry juice
• Ice
• Lime wedge for garnish

Instructions

1. Chill a martini glass.
2. In a cocktail shaker, combine the vodka, schnapps, and cranberry juice.
3. Add ice and shake.
4. Strain into the chilled martini glass.
5. Garnish with lime wedge.

5. Cherry Jolly Rancher Martini

Cherry was a flavor that didn't come until later for Jolly Rancher, but it's still in rotation today. Cherry drinks can be tricky - if you get the balance wrong, it tastes more like cough syrup than cocktail. Fortunately, this one gets the balance right. Mix one up, and you'll feel like a kid again.

Ingredients

• ¾ ounce Luxardo sour cherry syrup
• ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
• 3 ounces cherry flavored vodka
• Ice
• Cherries for garnish

Instructions

1. Chill a martini glass.
2. In a cocktail shaker, combine the cherry syrup, lime juice, and cherry vodka.
3. Add the ice and shake.
4. Strain into the chilled martini glass.
5. Garnish with cherries.

6. Grape Jolly Rancher Cocktail

Love grape cocktails? Grape wasn't an original Jolly Rancher flavor, but it's become a popular one. This purple-colored martini has a nice balance of sweet and sour.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Dekuyper Grape Pucker
• ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 ounce grape flavored vodka
• Ice

Instructions

1. Chill a martini glass.
2. In a cocktail shaker, combine the Grape Pucker, lime juice, and vodka.
3. Add ice and shake.
4. Strain into the chilled glass.

7. Peach Jolly Rancher Mixed Drink

While not an original flavor, peach remains in rotation for Hershey's, which is the company that makes the candies. While the color isn't peach, the flavor most certainly is.

Ingredients

• ½ ounce peach schnapps
• ½ ounce Malibu rum
• ½ ounce cranberry juice
• Ice

Instructions

1. Chill a cocktail glass.
2. In a cocktail shaker, combine the schnapps, Malibu rum, and cranberry juice.
3. Add ice and shake.
4. Strain into the chilled cocktail glass.

8. Green Melon Jolly Rancher Martini

Green melon was never a Jolly Rancher flavor, but this cocktail will make you believe it should have been. Midori is a vivid green liqueur that imparts a sweet melon flavor. Its muskmelon aroma is delicious in this sweet-tart cocktail.

Ingredients

• ¾ ounce Midori
• ¾ ounce amaretto
• ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1½ ounces vodka
• Ice

Instructions

1. Chill a cocktail glass.
2. In a cocktail shaker, combine the Midori, Amaretto, lime juice, and vodka.
3. Add the ice and shake.
4. Strain into the chilled cocktail glass.

Make Jolly Rancher Martinis From Candy

You can also make martinis using the Jolly Rancher candy itself. You do this by infusing plain vodka with the candy, which is a simple process.

Ingredients to Infuse Vodka With Jolly Rancher Candy

Only work with a single flavor at a time.

• 15 to 20 Jolly Rancher candies, unwrapped
• 1 750 mL bottle of vodka

How to Infuse Vodka

1. Place the candies in a large, clean mason jar.
2. Pour the vodka over the top.
3. Seal the jar and shake.
4. Infuse for about 10 hours, or until the candies dissolve. Shake before adding to drinks.

Ingredients to Make Jolly Rancher Martinis From Infused Vodka

• 3 ounces infused vodka
• ½ ounce simple syrup
• ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice, or cranberry juice
• Ice
• Jolly Rancher candy for garnish

Make the Martini

1. Chill a cocktail or martini glass.
2. In a cocktail shaker, combine the vodka, syrup, and juice.
3. Add the ice and shake.
4. Strain into the chilled glass. Garnish with a candy.

Relive Your Childhood

Next time you're feeling nostalgic and craving something sweet and tart, try one of these tasty Jolly Rancher cocktail recipes. While they might not meet the technical qualifications for a martini, they will bring back sweet memories of childhood.

Looking for a sweeter cocktail? Try a cotton candy cocktail.