Candy Crush Recipe

Make candy-infused simple syrup

Combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add 1/2 cup crushed pink rock candy and 1/2 cup crushed blue rock candy. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat and simmer 3–4 minutes while stirring to dissolve candy and extract color and flavor. Remove from heat, stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, then let cool to room temperature (about 20 minutes). Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove any solids. This yields a vividly colored, candy-flavored syrup (store leftover in refrigerator up to 7 days).

Prepare your serving glass (two highball or three generous coupe/cocktail glasses). Rub the rim of each glass with the lemon wedge. Pour 2 tablespoons coarse sugar or crushed pink candy onto a shallow plate and dip the moistened rim into the sugar to coat evenly. If you want extra candy texture, press a few small pieces of crushed candy into the rim while it’s still tacky.

Dry shake (if using egg white/aquafaba)

In a cocktail shaker, add the egg white (or aquafaba) and 1 ounce of the candy syrup from the syrup batch. Seal and shake vigorously without ice for 20 seconds to create a frothy foam.

Build the drink

Add ice (about 6 cubes) to the shaker, then pour in 6 fl oz vodka, 2 fl oz white rum, 1 fl oz triple sec, 1 fl oz fresh lemon juice, 1 fl oz candy syrup, 1/2 fl oz grenadine and 1/2 fl oz blue curaçao. Seal and shake hard for 10–15 seconds until well chilled (the foam will increase from the egg white if used).

Double strain the mixture into the prepared glass (over fresh ice if using a highball, or straight into the chilled coupe). For a layered candy-crush look, slowly pour 1–2 fl oz club soda or lemon-lime soda over the back of a spoon at the edge of the glass to create a light top layer and sparkle.

If you prefer a two-tone effect: after shaking, pour half the cocktail into glasses, add a small float (about 1/4 fl oz) of grenadine in the center so it sinks a bit, then carefully drizzle a thin line of blue curaçao at the edge to create color contrast.

Skewer assorted small hard candies or a rock candy stick on a cocktail pick and rest on the rim. Add a few small gummy candies or a single jawbreaker on top of the foam. Serve immediately with a straw and small cocktail napkin.