Hot Chocolate Cocktail
Hot chocolate with bourbon and a pinch of salt. The winter drink that needs no recipe and gets one anyway, because the whiskey and the chocolate have to be chosen to suit each other.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Make the hot chocolate: warm milk with chopped dark chocolate (about 2 oz of chocolate to 6 oz of milk) and a pinch of salt, whisking until smooth. Do not boil.
Pour the bourbon and crème de cacao, if using, into a warmed mug.
Pour the hot chocolate over and stir.
Top with a spoonful of lightly whipped cream and a grating of nutmeg or cinnamon.
A thoughtful finish
- Real chocolate melted into milk, not a powdered mix. The whiskey will expose a thin, sugary base instantly.
- The pinch of salt is not optional; it is what makes chocolate taste of chocolate and keeps the drink from being cloying.
- Keep the spirit at an ounce and a half. More and the drink turns hot and sharp; the alcohol is a warmth, not the point.
Common mistakes
- A sweet cocoa powder with a shot in it.
- Boiling the milk, which scalds it.
- Too much spirit. It is a hot chocolate first.
A few good questions.
Which spirit is best in hot chocolate?
Bourbon for vanilla and oak; aged rum for caramel; cognac for elegance; Irish cream for sweetness and body; peppermint schnapps for a candy-cane version. Bourbon is the most reliable.
Can I use milk chocolate?
Yes, and reduce any added sugar to nothing. Dark chocolate at 60 to 70% gives the drink a backbone the whiskey can stand on.
How about tequila or mezcal?
Mexican chocolate with mezcal and a pinch of chilli is one of the best versions there is.
Can I make it for a crowd?
Make a pot of real hot chocolate and let guests spike their own. It is the best way to serve it at a winter party.
Variations
- Irish Coffee — Whiskey, coffee, sugar and cream.
- Hot Buttered Rum — Rum, butter, sugar and hot water.
- Hot Toddy — Whiskey, honey, lemon and hot water.
- Brandy Alexander — Cognac, crème de cacao and cream, cold.
Where it comes from
c. 20th century · United States and Europe
Contested. More than one origin is claimed for this drink. We show the competing accounts rather than pick one.
Chocolate was drunk hot and spiked long before it was eaten solid: the chocolate houses of seventeenth-century London served it with wine and spirits, and the Mexican tradition of chocolate with chilli and spirit is older still. The modern spiked hot chocolate is a home drink with a thousand versions — bourbon, rum, brandy, Irish cream, peppermint schnapps — and no inventor. This version uses bourbon and a pinch of salt, which is the combination that most reliably tastes like a cocktail rather than a dessert with a shot in it.
Sources
- Sophie Coe and Michael Coe, The True History of Chocolate, 1996 (book)
- Difford's Guide, Hot Chocolate cocktails, 2015 (reference)
- David Wondrich, Punch: The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flowing Bowl, 2010 (book)
Strength. About 1.23 US standard drinks at an estimated 8.2% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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