Life is short. Drink dessert first.

For those of us who like to dabble in decadence, Max at Mirabeau offers a fully stocked “Dessert Drinks” menu.

Since my friend Michelle was the first to arrive at our annual after-Christmas cocktail session, she was in charge of the first round. I asked her to order either my usual (gin & tonic) or surprise me with something chocolate.

Surprise! This one was a chocolate martini, and it was divine – light and creamy and chocolaty, just like dessert in a glass should be. I also tried the chocolate mint martini (purely for research purposes, of course) – just as good as the straight-up chocolate, with a minty afterburn at the back of my tongue that reminded me of chocolate chip mint ice cream, with a kick.

Thanks to drinks like these, I might never order a traditional dessert again. As if.

You’ll find Max at Mirabeau at 1100 N. Sullivan, just south of the Sullivan exit.