Chocolate liqueur is certainly an alcoholic liqueur where the chief flavor is chocolate and mixed drinks. It shouldn't be mistaken with chocolate liquor that is essentially real chocolate in its liquid type. Because of an international “chocolate craze” through the nineties there are a selection of countless brands out there providing a wide array of flavors of Chocolate liqueur such as, Black Chocolate, Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Orange, Chocolate Almond, Milk Chocolate, Caramel Chocolate, Crème de Cacao and White Chocolate.

Beginnings of Chocolate Liqueur

Although many believe chocolate liqueur as a fairly new beverage, in actual fact it can be traced back to 1666 France where there's a mention of chocolate ' en liqueur'. There's also evidence of a 'chocolate wine' being well-known in New England before the 18th century American Revolution. The beverage was made of sherry, port, chocolate and sugar. There are lots of recipe guides and magazines from throughout the 17th to 20th centuries that incorporate recipes for assorted forms of the liqueur. The most easy modern recipes for chocolate liqueur comprise chocolate extract, vanilla extract, vodka and simple syrup. The finest sort of the liqueur is generally transparent, though coloring is oftentimes added to be able to present it a more real chocolate look.

Different Variants

Chocolate liqueur is accessible in three general variants :
• Chocolate Liqueur
• Chocolate Cream Liqueur
• Crème de Cacao

The most common of these variations is most likely crème de cacao which itself has variations. The liqueur could be transparent and light or a dark caramel color. These variants are often sold as light crème de cacao and dark crème de cacao. The term crème represents the liqueur's creamy consistency, but there's absolutely no real dairy cream in the drink.

Well-known Brands
There are numerous well-known brands of chocolate liqueur on the market produced by alcohol producers and chocolatiers as well. Several of the most popular brands all over the U.S. involve Bols, DeKuyper, Droste, Godet, Godiva, Marie Brizard, Mozart, Tia Maria, Truffles and Vandermint.

Serving Suggestions

The liqueur can be offered straight, commonly as an after dinner beverage instead of an aperitif. It is also frequently used in desserts, chocolate sauces, cakes and truffles. It may also be used in a number of blended beverages and cocktails. Wine and chocolate are a typical pairing of flavors and many cocktails combine hard red wine with a shot of chocolate liqueur for a rich and self-indulgent beverage. For instance a Black Mozart Sparkler consists of Mozart Black chocolate liqueur, cherry brandy and cherry juice capped with sparkling red wine.

There are also various other drinks and cocktails which feature chocolate liqueur. These incorporate a 'Chocolate Martini' which is created by combining 2oz of vodka and a half oz of crème de cacaoin an ice filled cocktail shaker and serving in a martini glass or a 'Milky Way Martini' which combines vanilla vodka, chocolate liqueur and Irish cream served in a cocktail glass without ice.

With regards to cooking with chocolate liqueur, it is again imperative not to mix up it with chocolate liquor. Chocolate flavored liqueurs are usually employed as an extra ingredient in chocolate truffles, chocolate sauces and desserts just like tiramisu.