Photo: L.A. Burdick
After a demanding afternoon of searching for thoughtful Christmas presents for every member of my extended family (and ending up with scarves), I was in dire need of a hot chocolate break. Serendipitously, an L.A. Burdick outpost was on route, so I stopped in for a rich dark cup, which was beautifully blended with Macallan 12 (a household favorite). I had department stores to tackle, after all.
Typically, when I’m concocting my own boozy hot cocoa, I tend to use lower quality liquor, but this was a special occasion (I was stressed). At L.A. Burdick, they mix 6 to 8 tablespoons of their shaved chocolate with 3 quarters to 1 cup of scalding hot milk and a half ounce of Scotch. If you’re making yours at home, you can sub in whatever bittersweet (60 percent cacao) or semisweet chocolate you prefer and add a good deal more alcohol. Depending on your mood, Cointreau, vanilla vodka, peppermint schnapps, Baileys, and of course any flavor of Kahlua will transform your hot chocolate to the next level of bliss. Gourmet’s Grasshopper Hot Chocolate, which uses crème de menthe, is a nice cooling option. Personally, I prefer the warming elements of a brandy or whiskey to top off my drink (they play better with chocolate than vodka or liqueurs) but no matter the spirit, this winter staple will ward off any shopping-induced temper tantrums.
What do you spike your hot chocolate with?
I like Cognac with chocolate, as long as I also get an orange twist to mingle with the flavors. I also like a good gin and a touch of nutmeg, which always becomes a very aromatic mix, reminding me of Christmas trees of my childhood — junipers, unfailingly. Reposado tequila or mezcal can be quite good, too, with pinches of cinnamon and cayenne to accent.
I prefer bourbon, specifically Jim Beam. I make a nobake cookie at the holiday’s that is called a bourbon ball (dry rum ball type thing with chocolate and nilla wafers) and it made me realize how wonderfully bourbon and chocolate go together.
Peppermint schnapps makes a delicious hot chocolate drink called, I think, a “Broken Leg”. Or, my fav is Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum with hot chocolate and a dash of freshly grated nutmeg and whipped cream. To die for yummy and rummy!