The holiday season is the perfect excuse to indulge in a piping hot cup of cocoa — preferably served in an over-the-top festive mug. But the best part of revisiting this nostalgic holiday drink? Improving on the original with a little splash of booze.
While it’s certainly fair to throw a shot of Baileys, whiskey, or really just about anything into your next cup of cocoa, for those who are looking to take their spiked hot chocolate to the next level, stick to this list of seasonal recipes. These festive spins range from fruity and sweet to herbaceous and spicy. Plus they include pretty much every spirit and liqueur from gin, rum, and Irish whiskey to Chartreuse, Cointreau, and amaro, so it’s highly likely you have at least some of these ingredients on hand.
Here are five of the best hot chocolate cocktails to drink this winter.
The Boozy Hot Chocolate
For the Baileys Irish Cream loyalists out there, the Boozy Hot Chocolate sticks to the classic ingredients, but with some slight improvements. Created by Anders Lehto at Denver’s Hudson Hill cocktail bar, this spin introduces half an ounce each of minty Fernet and Genepy for an extra kick of flavor.
The Mexican Hot Chocolate
Some may argue that the secret to a standout cocoa cocktail is the quality of the hot chocolate itself. This is certainly the case for Shannon Ponche of Brooklyn’s Leyenda, who designed the Mexican Hot Chocolate to feature a rich chocolate, milk, and spice blend that adds depth to every sip. The base starts with chunks of Abuelita Mexican chocolate tablets, several varieties of chiles, cinnamon, whole milk, and evaporated milk to make a sweet and spicy hot chocolate. One ounce of reposado tequila and half an ounce of mezcal are added to the equation for that perfect boozy bite. And if you’re really feeling festive, top the drink off with a Licor-43-infused whipped cream to take it up a notch.
The Orange Hot Chocolate
For fans of assorted boxed chocolates, chocolate and orange are an unbeatable flavor combo. This cocktail adds that fruity, floral orange flavor to the traditional hot chocolate via Cointreau and a fresh wheel of orange. And while some might be used to only pouring dark spirits in their hot cocoa, this recipe opts for gin, lifting up the botanical orange notes.
The Lodge Chaud
Created by Desmond Oliver at the Detroit Foundation Hotel, the Lodge Chaud is the ultimate hot cocktail to enjoy by the fire. Herbaceous ingredients like green Chartreuse and amaro add beautiful aromatics to the nose, which are lifted up by the heat of the drink to invigorate the senses. Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey adds a little extra oomph on the palate, and completes the flavor profile with some hints of vanilla and spice.
The Dulce de Leche Hot Chocolate
This deluxe, rum-spiked hot cocoa riff makes for the perfect after-dinner treat to enjoy on a chilly day. Lining the bottom of your mug with thick and creamy Dulce de Leche gives the drink a rich, confectionary finish. After making a batch of these, you’ll opt for liquid dessert more often.
*Image retrieved from Vladislav Noseek via stock.adobe.com
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