First up is The Cocktail Couple with their Million Dollar Chocolate Cocktail. This positively decadent drink is a mixture of Irish whiskey, cold brew coffee, cinnamon, grated Taza Chipotle Chili Dark Chocolate, chocolate porter, and a whole egg. Does the inclusion of the coffee and egg make this drink appropriate for breakfast? Discuss.
Fred Yarm of Cocktail Virgin Slut must have known that chocolate and champagne are my two biggest weaknesses, because he made the Negative Space from Imbibe Magazine using Suze, lemon juice, crème de cacao, absinthe, orange blossom water, and Blanc de Blancs champagne. I just got a bottle of Suze, so I’ll definitely be giving this one a try!
Over at Nihil Utopia, Dagreb kept it classic with the Alexander No. 1: gin, creme de cacao, and cream. Though you’re probably most familiar with the Brandy Alexander, the original version of this cocktail was indeed made with gin. This is an elegant after-dinner cocktail, and probably the most iconic use of crème de cacao out there.
Muddle & Stir joined the party this month with their Chocolate Dream Old Fashioned. With Nikka Coffey Grain Whiskey, Marble Distilling Company Moonlight EXpresso, Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate syrup, and Mister Bitters Cocoa Macadamia Bitters, this cocktail really does sound like a dream come true!
Adam of Mr. Muddle whipped up the positively drool-worthy Brandy Alejandro, a boozy and spicy hot chocolate with brandy, Ancho Reyes, Becherovka, and Allspice Dram. Ancho Reyes and hot chocolate = genius. This looks and sounds so ridiculously good, and it’s perfect for dreary winter weather.
Gary at Doc Elliot’s Mixology was a real overachiever this month, with three chocolatey cocktails to share! He showcases the perfect pairing of chocolate and tequila with the Chocolate Manhattan: Milagro Plata tequila, Lillet, and Godiva Dark Chocolate Liqueur. I’m personally quite intrigued by the Chocolate-Covered Rum, since coconut and chocolate is one of my favorite combinations; this cocktail combines them with a bit of a spice from chipotle powder and Aztec chocolate bitters. Finally, the same chocolate simple syrup he whipped up for the Chocolate-Covered Rum makes an appearance in the Chocolate Rum Old Fashioned, along with Barbancourt 12-year. I think chocolate simple syrup is definitely going to find a place in my arsenal of ingredients.
And last but not least, I contributed the Syracuse, made with cacao nib-infused Rhum Clement, East India Solera Sherry, Ramazzotti, Cointreau, and El Guapo Spiced Cocoa Tea Bitters. I love the combination of dark chocolate and orange notes in this drink.
What an incredible bunch of recipes! Thanks so much to everyone who participated. See you all next month – keep your eyes on the MxMo Twitter account in case the website’s not up and running for the February challenge. Cheers!