Chocolate liqueur is a chocolate-flavored

liqueur A liqueur ( , ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of Liquor, spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-age ...

made from a base liquor of whisky or

vodka Vodka ( ; is a clear distilled beverage, distilled alcoholic beverage. Its varieties originated in Poland and Russia. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impurities and flavourings. Traditionally, it is ...

. Unlike chocolate liquor, chocolate liqueur contains alcohol. Chocolate liqueur is often used as an ingredient in mixology, baking, and

cooking Cooking, also known as cookery or professionally as the culinary arts, is the art, science and craft of using heat to make food more palatable, digestible, nutritious, or Food safety, safe. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely, from ...

History

There is mention in contemporary sources of chocolate ''en liqueur'' being produced as early as 1666. Context suggests this is a chocolate liqueur, not a chocolate liquor or cocoa bean extract nor any other chocolate flavored beverage. In

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

prior to the 18th century

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

, a "chocolate wine" was popular. Its ingredients included sherry,

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...

, chocolate, and

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...

. A French manual published in 1780 also describes chocolate liqueur. An 1803 French

pharmacy Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medication, medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it ...

manual includes a recipe for a chocolate liqueur ('' ratafia de chocolat'', also ''ratafia de cacao''). An early 19th-century American cookbook, published in 1825 and preserved in an historical archive in

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

, includes a similar recipe. Throughout the 19th century and into the early 20th century, manuals and encyclopedias in French, English, and Spanish give similar recipes. A late 19th century food science manual gives a recipe that includes techniques for clarifying and coloring the liqueur. A similar early 20th century manual gives four recipes.

Recipes

Early 19th century recipes for chocolate liqueur featured whole cocoa beans. A basic modern recipe for making chocolate liqueur at home lists the ingredients chocolate extract, vanilla extract,

, and simple syrup. To keep the chocolate extract in suspension and make the liqueur thicker, glycerine may be added. In its purest form, chocolate liqueur is clear; coloring may be added. Recipes for home-made chocolate liqueurs may also include raw eggs as an ingredient, presenting a risk of

salmonellosis Salmonellosis is a symptomatic infection caused by bacteria of the ''Salmonella'' type. It is the most common disease to be known as food poisoning (though the name refers to food-borne illness in general). These are defined as diseases, usuall ...

. Reasonable safety may be achieved by combining the eggs with the alcohol before other ingredients. Earlier, liquor was made by adding the cocoa beans to classic liqueur. Modern chocolate wine can be considered as a subspecies of chocolate liqueur.

Uses

Chocolate liqueur can be consumed straight, as an after dinner drink rather than as aperitif. It is used in mixed drinks and in desserts, especially in dessert sauces, cakes, and truffles. Food writer Shirley Corriher notes that many recipes for chocolate truffle add a small amount of chocolate liqueur to melted chocolate, and warns that adding the liqueur often causes the chocolate to seize. One of the more unusual uses is in chocolate rolled fondant. Arguably the most controversial use may be in connection with a scandal concerning the provenance of certain 17th century bottles of wines said to have belonged to

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...

, and traded by Hardy Rodenstock. Benjamin Wallace writes in his book ''The Billionaire's Vinegar'' that at a wine tasting of 19th century wines from Château Latour, provided by Rodenstock, several people noted the wines had a flavor of chocolate liqueur and were fakes. Wine and chocolate are a classic flavor pairing, and this is reflected in some

cocktail A cocktail is a mixed drink, usually alcoholic beverage, alcoholic. Most commonly, a cocktail is a combination of one or more liquor, spirits mixed with other ingredients, such as juices, flavored syrups, tonic water, Shrub (drink), shrubs, and ...

s that combine a strong red wine with a dash of chocolate liqueur.

Varieties

There are three types of chocolate liqueur:

, cream liqueur, and crème de cacao.

Chocolate liqueur

* Afrikoko (coconut and chocolate) * Ashanti Gold * Bicerin Di Giandujotto (chocolate and hazelnut) * Godiva Dark Chocolate * Intramuros Liqueur de Cacao * Liqueur Fogg * Mozart Black (dark chocolate) * OM Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt Liqueur * Royal Mint-Chocolate Liqueur (French) * Sabra liqueur (dark chocolate and Jaffa oranges) * Thornton's Chocolate Liqueur * Mon Chéri

Chocolate cream liqueur

* Cadbury Cream Liqueur * Dooley's White Chocolate Cream Liqueur * Dorda Double Chocolate Liqueur * Dwersteg's Organic Chocolate Cream Liqueur * Godiva White Chocolate * Hotel Chocolat Velvetised Chocolate Cream * Florcello Chocolate Orange Cream Liqueur * Mozart Gold Chocolate Cream Liqueur * Mozart White Chocolate Cream Liqueur * Vana Tallinn Chocolate Cream * Vermeer Dutch Chocolate Cream Liqueur

Crème de cacao

Crème de cacao may be either clear or a dark caramel color, which is often labeled ''dark crème de cacao''. The French word identifies it as a crème liqueur, a liqueur with a high sugar content as stipulated by various regulations (for example, European law requires a sugar content of 250 g/L). There is no dairy cream in it. The alcohol content of crème de cacao varies, but 20–25% ABV (40–50 proof (U.S.)) is common.

References

External links

* {{Chocolate Chocolate liqueurs Chocolate drinks French liqueurs