This month we’re celebrating Hot Cocktails, because it seems obviously appropriate, and so we start off the second week of January with this Bourbon Hot Chocolate. You are very welcome.
Cream, sugar, vanilla, chocolate, almond, cocoa and our Black Reserve with a choice of your favorite toppings. We at Cleveland Whiskey always heartily endorse toppings such as marshmallows, any chocolate candies, candy canes, chocolate syrup, and salted caramel.
An important caveat: Do not share this with the children. This is for you. You can toss them a marshmallow if you have one to spare, BUT if you garnish properly, as in our picture, you will not have any left to share.
For your next game of Trivial Pursuit or the next session of water cooler blathering, here are some fun facts:
Fun fact #1. Chocolate grows on trees, appearing in its raw state as melon-like pods on trees known botanically as Theobroma cacao, which means “food of the gods.”
Fun fact #2. The word chocolate is said to derive from the Mayan word xocoatl (fantastic word for Scrabble or Hangman enthusiasts). As we chocolate lovers know, the Mayans are credited with it’s discovery as early as 500 BC.
Fun fact #3. Early chocolate was only consumed in beverage form and was believed to have medicinal value.
Finally, Fun fact #4. Hot chocolate was first brought to North America as early as the 17th century by the Dutch. I knew I liked them…..
Cheers to Chocolate in beverage form; any form really will do, but when you add our Whiskey – that’s my kinda drink.
You will need:
3 cups 2% milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/8 cup unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
1-1/2 oz Black Reserve Bourbon per cup
Directions:
- Place all of the ingredients except the bourbon into saucepan on medium heat.
- Whisk to get the cocoa powder as mixed in as possible. An immersion blender that might make it easier.
- Cook on medium until it starts to simmer then turn it down & whisk often to make sure the chocolate isn’t burning on the bottom.
- Pour bourbon into the cup then add warm cocoa mixture and stir.
- Garnish with marshmallows and/or other garnish options.