How To Make The Perfect Whiskey Hot Chocolate To Keep You Warm And Cozy

Hot chocolate and whiskey may occupy two different categories, but when you combine them, you get a boozy treat that satisfies your sweet tooth and keeps you warm and cozy on a cold night. The combo isn't all that surprising when you consider how many liquors and liqueurs go with hot chocolate. But what's the best way to make this comforting boozy beverage?

Sasha Zabar, founder of Glace NY, shared some exclusive insight with Chowhound on how to make the perfect whiskey hot chocolate for when the cold of winter sets in. As the owner of a New York City sweet shop selling sundaes, frozen hot chocolate, and macaron ice cream sandwiches, Zabar knows a thing or two about creating things that really satisfy.

When you want to booze up your hot cocoa with a shot of whiskey, make sure you add the liquor off the heat. "Alcohol evaporates fast," says Zabar. "If you pour it in while the cocoa's still on the stove, you lose the character of the spirit." He recommends focusing on making the hot chocolate first. Once it's ready, take it off the heat and mix in the whiskey, or pour the hot chocolate into a cup that already has the spirit.

As for proportions, you don't want to overdo the alcohol. "The drink should still taste like dessert, not a cocktail," Zabar points out. "A good baseline is 6 ounces of hot chocolate to 1 ounce of whiskey," he says. You can go as high as 1 ½ ounces of booze, but after that, he warns that you'll lose the taste of the chocolate.

Hot chocolate is definitely no stranger to booze — unsurprisingly, hot chocolate does incredibly well with a red wine upgrade as well. But when it comes to turning your cocoa into an adult beverage with whiskey, choosing the right kind is paramount. "The key is not to fight the chocolate, you want the whiskey to underline it," Sasha Zabar tells us. In other words, you'll want the right whiskey for the right chocolate. If you're not too familiar with whiskey, you'll want to educate yourself with a quick tutorial for beginners (and there are some must-know whiskey brands for beginners), because different whiskeys will go better with certain chocolates. Zabar's advice: "Think of pairing by personality." 

"Dark chocolate loves a rye whiskey," he says. "It echoes those peppery, spiced notes." When it comes to milk chocolate, a smooth bourbon is the better option, because its "caramel, vanilla, brown sugar flavors complement the sweetness." He even has a suggestion for those who fancy spiced or flavored cocoa: Irish whiskey, which "gives balance and warmth without overpowering." With these pairing suggestions, you'll be ready to get to work making the best boozy hot cocoa for a cold night.

Once you've settled on your whiskey and chocolate choices, Zabar has a few insider tips to take your beverage to the next level by giving it texture, flavor, and aroma. "A few drops of orange oil or a thin peel twist adds brightness," he says, while cinnamon or smoked chili powder can give it some warmth and heat. He also suggests topping off the boozy hot chocolate with whipped cream that's been infused with the same whiskey. "It's subtle but ties everything together," he says.