Ingredient
Chocolate
Real dark chocolate, melted into hot milk or cream — the basis of every spiked hot chocolate that has ever earned the name.
Flavour profile
Chocolate for cocktails means real dark chocolate, melted into milk or cream over low heat — not powder. A 60-70% dark chocolate gives you the right balance of bitter to sweet, and the drink has actual body rather than the thin, chalky character that powdered “hot chocolate” gives. Stir slowly, never boil, and add the spirit off the heat at the end.
Recipes featuring chocolate
Spiked Hot Chocolate
Deep, glossy hot chocolate made with real dark chocolate and a measure of your favourite spirit — the ultimate grown-up winter treat.
Lumumba
A rich hot chocolate laced with brandy and crowned with softly whipped cream, a classic continental warmer for cold nights.
Hot Chocolate with Mint
A rich, velvety hot chocolate scented with fresh peppermint and finished with cream — a comforting cool-and-cosy treat for winter evenings.
Hot Irish Cocoa
A rich hot Irish cocoa made with Irish whiskey, real dark chocolate and warm milk, finished with whipped cream and a dusting of nutmeg.
Alpine Hot Cocoa Cocktail
A nutty alpine cocoa cocktail with real dark chocolate, cocoa powder and Frangelico or amaretto, finished with a soft cloud of whipped cream.