Polar Bear Cocktail: A 3-Ingredient Mint Chocolate Shot
The Polar Bear is a 3-ingredient cocktail made with equal parts crème de cacao and peppermint schnapps, shaken hard with crushed ice and served straight up. It tastes like a liquid peppermint patty — cooling and sweet, with a dessert-like richness. It takes about 3 minutes to make and serves one.
- Baseliqueur
- Strength20% ABV, approximate
- Methodstir
- Glassshot glass
- Icecrushed
- Difficultyeasy
- Total3 min
- Serves1
- Sweet
- Minty
- Chocolate-forward
- Cooling
- Jigger or measuring spoons
- Cocktail shaker
- Strainer
- Shot glass or small coupe
The Polar Bear is what happens when dessert decides to become a drink. It's a two-spirit cocktail built on equal parts crème de cacao and peppermint schnapps, shaken hard with crushed ice until the drink is ice-cold and slightly frosted. The result tastes like a frozen peppermint patty in a glass — cooling on the palate, sweet on the finish, and dangerously easy to drink.
This is a cocktail for people who like their desserts liquid. There's no citrus, no juice, nothing to complicate the flavor. Just chocolate and mint, pure and simple. The crushed ice isn't just for chill — it dilutes the drink faster than large cubes, pulling the sweetness down and making the texture smoother as it melts.
It's the drink you make when you want something quick and sweet with a festive kick. The Polar Bear recipe is the kind of thing you memorize after making it once. Two ingredients, one glass. You'll have it down in under three minutes, and you'll find yourself reaching for it whenever a mint-chocolate craving hits.
About the Polar Bear
The Polar Bear belongs to the family of after-dinner cocktails designed to taste like confectionery. It follows the same logic as the Grasshopper (crème de cacao with green crème de menthe) but swaps the herbaceous mint liqueur for the sharper, more intense peppermint schnapps. This makes the drink colder on the palate — peppermint schnapps carries a higher proof and a cleaner, more medicinal mint bite than crème de menthe.
It's a classic shooter-style cocktail, typically served up in a chilled shot glass or small coupe. The Polar Bear doesn't have a single documented origin, but it's a staple of the sweet-shooter canon that flourished in American bars during the 1970s and 80s. Its simplicity and dessert-like character make it a popular choice for holiday gatherings and after-dinner drinks.
Why it works
- 1Equal parts of the two liqueurs keeps the drink balanced — the chocolate sweetness of the crème de cacao softens the sharp, cooling bite of the peppermint schnapps.
- 2Crushed ice melts faster than cubes, which waters the drink down just enough to make the sweetness drinkable instead of cloying.
- 3Shaking hard aerates the drink slightly, giving it a silky, almost frothy texture on the palate that you don't get from stirring.
- 4Serving it up in a chilled glass keeps the peppermint cooling sensation sharp on the first sip.
- 5The high sugar content of both liqueurs means the drink needs no syrup or sweetener — the ingredients carry the full profile.
Ingredients
Serves 1.
- 1 oz Crème de cacao (white)
White crème de cacao keeps the drink clear; dark will turn it muddy.
- 1 oz Peppermint schnapps
The 100-proof version gives a sharper mint bite. Standard works too, just milder.
Crushed ice, enough to fill the shaker halfwayCrushed ice melts fast and thins the drink. Cubes won't dilute it enough.
ingredients
For the Polar Bear, the quality of your crème de cacao matters more than the schnapps. Use a white crème de cacao, Giffard or Tempus Fugit are solid choices, because dark versions carry a caramel note that fights the clean mint. The peppermint schnapps can be standard 30% ABV or the 50% ABV version if you want a sharper cold sensation; either works. If you want a less sweet drink, you can't really adjust this one, the recipe is pure liqueur. But you can add a small splash of heavy cream if you want a Creamsicle-style variation.
You need: jigger or measuring spoons, cocktail shaker, strainer, shot glass or small coupe.
Method
Chill your glass
Drop a few cubes of ice into your shot glass or small coupe and let it sit while you build the drink. A cold glass is what keeps the drink's cooling sensation sharp. If you're in a hurry, you can skip this, but a warm glass will make the first sip taste flat.
Look for: The glass is cold to the touch and condensation forms on the outside.
Common mistake: Skipping the chill. A warm glass dulls the mint's cooling effect and makes the drink taste warmer than it is.
Pour 1 oz of white crème de cacao and 1 oz of peppermint schnapps into a mixing glass. Use a jigger for accuracy. This drink is only two ingredients, so a heavy hand on either one will throw the balance completely off.
Look for: Two clear, distinct liquids in the bottom of the shaker, one slightly amber-tinted, the other clear.
Common mistake: Guessing the measure. If the schnapps dominates, you get a drink that tastes like mouthwash. Keep them equal.
Pack the mixing glass halfway full with ice. You want more ice than liquid. The ice melts slowly, and that dilution is what tames the sweetness of the two liqueurs. Stir gently.
Look for: The shaker is heavy and full, the ice visible through the metal as a cold mass.
Common mistake: Using cubed ice instead of crushed. Cubes don't melt fast enough, leaving the drink syrupy-sweet and under-diluted.
Stir for about 30 seconds. You're not just chilling the drink. You're working the ice against the liqueurs to dilute them evenly. Stop when the mixing glass feels cold.
Look for: The outside of the shaker is frosted with condensation and the metal is cold to the touch.
Common mistake: Undershaking. A 5-second shake leaves the drink too sweet and warm. Shake until the shaker frosts.
Discard the ice from your chilled glass, then strain the drink into it. The drink should be a clear, pale liquid. If you used a proper strainer, you're done. Serve immediately. The drink doesn't keep; make it fresh each time.
Look for: A crystal-clear, pale liquid in the chilled glass, completely free of ice and any cloudiness.
Common mistake: Double-straining an already-clear drink. If you see shards, you didn't shake long enough — not a straining problem.
Tips from the bar
- 1Keep both liqueurs in the freezer for an even colder, thicker drink that needs less shaking.
- 2If you want a slightly creamier texture, add half an ounce of heavy cream before shaking — it turns the drink into a frozen mint-chocolate milkshake.
- 3Use a small coupe instead of a shot glass if you want a more elegant presentation — the drink's aroma opens up more in a wider glass.
- 4For a holiday version, rim the glass with crushed candy cane — just dip the wet rim in crushed peppermint before serving.
- 5Make a batch of 6 by pouring 6 oz of each liqueur into a pitcher, shaking in batches, and serving in chilled shot glasses.
Variations
- Pink Polar Bear: add 0.5 oz of strawberry liqueur to the shaker for a fruity, pink-hued version.
- Frozen Polar Bear: blend the two liqueurs with 1 cup of crushed ice in a blender until slushy, then serve in a rocks glass with a straw.
- Polar Bear with vodka: add 1 oz of vodka and 0.5 oz of cream for a stiffer, creamier drink.
- Mint Chocolate Chip: add 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream and blend for a dessert milkshake version.
Substitutions
- Crème de cacao → dark crème de cacao, but be aware it adds a caramel note that changes the flavor profile noticeably.
- Peppermint schnapps → crème de menthe (white), but it's less intense and sweeter, so the drink will be milder and more syrupy.
- Peppermint schnapps → 1 oz vodka + 2-3 drops of peppermint extract, for a drier, less sweet version.
Serving, storing, batching
Serve the Polar Bear as an after-dinner drink alongside chocolate desserts — a brownie, a flourless chocolate cake, or even a simple scoop of vanilla ice cream. The mint cuts through rich chocolate, and the drink's sweetness complements rather than competes with the dessert.
This drink is made to order and does not store well. Both liqueurs have a long shelf life at room temperature, but once shaken and diluted, the drink separates and loses its texture within minutes. Make it fresh every time.
To scale for a party, combine equal parts of both liqueurs in a large pitcher — 8 oz each serves about 8 people. Keep the pitcher in the freezer until ready to serve. Shake each portion individually with crushed ice and strain into chilled shot glasses, or pour the frozen mixture into a blender with ice for a frozen slushy version.
Questions people ask
Combine 1 oz white crème de cacao and 1 oz peppermint schnapps in a cocktail shaker. Fill halfway with crushed ice, shake hard for 10-15 seconds until the shaker frosts, then strain into a chilled shot glass. Serve immediately.
The classic Polar Bear cocktail uses just three ingredients: 1 oz white crème de cacao, 1 oz peppermint schnapps, and crushed ice. The ice is used for shaking and straining, so it doesn't end up in the final drink.
The Polar Bear is served ice-cold. In fact, the drink is meant to be served as cold as possible — the peppermint schnapps creates a cooling sensation that's amplified by the cold temperature. It's never served warm.
A Polar Bear tastes like a liquid peppermint patty — cooling mint up front, followed by a sweet chocolate finish. The texture is smooth and slightly silky from the shaking, with a clean, crisp finish that leaves a minty coolness on the palate.
A Pink Polar Bear is a variation of the classic Polar Bear that adds strawberry liqueur to the mix. Typically it's 1 oz crème de cacao, 1 oz peppermint schnapps, and 0.5 oz strawberry liqueur, shaken and served up in a chilled glass.
Yes, make a non-alcoholic version by combining 1 oz chocolate syrup with 1 oz peppermint syrup and 4 oz of milk or cream. Shake with ice and strain into a chilled glass for a booze-free mint chocolate drink.
The Polar Bear is traditionally served in a chilled shot glass. If you prefer a larger, slower-sipped drink, use a small coupe or Nick and Nora glass — the wider bowl lets the mint aroma open up more.
A Polar Bear made with standard 30% ABV liqueurs lands at roughly 20% ABV after dilution from the crushed ice. If you use 50% ABV peppermint schnapps, it climbs closer to 25% ABV.
The Polar Bear works best as an after-dinner drink alongside chocolate desserts — a brownie, flourless chocolate cake, or a simple scoop of vanilla ice cream. The mint cuts through rich chocolate and the sweetness complements the dessert.
Yes, combine equal parts of both liqueurs in a pitcher — 8 oz each serves about 8 people. Keep the pitcher in the freezer until ready to serve, then shake each portion individually with crushed ice for the best texture.
Last word
The Polar Bear is a three-ingredient cocktail that takes about three minutes to make and tastes like a frozen peppermint patty. It's sweet and cooling, great for after-dinner or holiday gatherings. Try it once and you'll have it memorized.
