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Cocktail History
The Chestnut Hot Chocolate is a Christmas cocktail that was created by Nick Mautone at the Rainbow Room in New York City, New York and was first published in his book The Artisanal Kitchen: Holiday Cocktails. It was inspired by a chocolate-dipped chestnut purée the author once had at Paprika Weiss, a now closed store that used to be on New York City’s Upper East Side. It combines the namesake flavors of chestnut and chocolate with brandy and seasonal spices to create a delicious boozy twist on the classic cold-weather beverage.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Milk: This is a liquid rich in calcium and protein that is produced by mammals. We used Prairie Farm Vitamin D Whole Milk. For a dairy-free version of this drink, try oat milk in place of the milk.
Cognac: This is a type of brandy made in Cognac, France with distilled white wine. We used Courvoisier VSOP Cognac because it has a rich mouthfeel and a delightful brandy spice with notes of peach, almond, and cinnamon. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Escape Mocktails Non-Alcoholic Cognac Alternative in place of the brandy.
Hazelnut Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with toasted hazelnuts, vanilla, baking spices, sugar, and alcohol. We used Frangelico because it has a unique sweet and nutty flavor with notes of cocoa. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Monin Premium Hazelnut Syrup in place of the hazelnut liqueur.
Chestnut Spread: This is a purée made with chestnuts, sugar, vanilla, and syrup. We used Bonne Maman French Chestnut Jam (Chataigne).
Saline Solution: This is a solution made with five to one kosher salt and water.
Hot Cocoa Mix: This is a sweetened chocolate product made with ground cocoa beans and sugar. We used Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Premium Hot Cocoa Mix because it’s rich and chocolatey.
Ground Cinnamon: This is a spice. We used Simply Organic Ground Cinnamon.
Whipped Cream: This is heavy cream that has been whipped and beaten until it is light and fluffy. We used Reddi-Wip Original Dairy Whipped Topping because it offers easier application than making whipped cream at home using an iSi Cream Whipper. For a dairy-free version of this drink, try Reddi-Wip Non-Dairy Coconut Milk Whipped Topping in place of the whipped cream.
Chestnut: This is a large, round nuts with a hard and rough outer husk.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Saucepan: This is used to warm the ingredients. We used the Cuisinart 3-Quart Stainless Steel Saucepan with Cover.
Spoon: This is used to stir the ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips Silicone Spoon.
Ladle: This is used to transfer the drink to cups. We used the OXO Good Grips Silicone Everyday Ladle.
Tasting Notes
The Chestnut Hot Chocolate features fragrances of sweet whipped cream and chestnut and has a thick mouthfeel with the taste of rich chocolate and a prominent nut flavor; meanwhile, the Cognac and Frangelico come in towards the end and leave a slight burn in the throat to go with the lingering chocolate notes.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: After tasting this and the Kohler Mint Cocoa, it’s really a toss-up on which hot cocoa recipe Santa would enjoy more. Both are incredibly delicious yet totally different from one another. And while nuttiness is not something we’d typically associate with hot cocoa, we thought it was a welcome addition. You’ll just have to try both the Chestnut Hot Chocolate and Kohler Mint Cocoa to find out which is your new favorite for this time of year.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This is a delicious hot cocoa drink that combines chestnut flavors with a bit of Cognac to create a very unique flavor. Even though it’s not an ingredient that is used in drinks very often, the chestnut is very noticeable and quite delicious here, and the Cognac is present but blends well. The original recipe only called for ¼ oz each of Frangelico and brandy, but I made the call to up the former to ½ oz and the latter to a full ounce, and it created a much better flavor, in my opinion. While a little more indulgent than I typically like my cocktails to be, this one certainly was undeniably tasty, and the prominent chestnut flavors were a wonderful touch.”
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Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Holy Christmas balls! This boozy hot chocolate is an incredibly decadent delight. I had never tried chestnut purée before having it in this cocktail, and it’s nuttiness and texture adds a layer of delicious to this winter drink I didn’t know I needed. If you’re already a fan of chestnut, this is a recipe you need to try.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Artisanal Kitchen: Holiday Cocktails by Nick Mautone.
Whisk hot cocoa mix into milk in a saucepan over medium heat.
Mix brandy, hazelnut liqueur, chestnut spread, saline solution, and cinnamon in a mug.
When warm, pour hot cocoa into mug.
Stir for 5-10 seconds.
Garnish with whipped cream and chestnut.
Ingredients
Directions
Whisk hot cocoa mix into milk in a saucepan over medium heat.
Mix brandy, hazelnut liqueur, chestnut spread, saline solution, and cinnamon in a mug.
When warm, pour hot cocoa into mug.
Stir for 5-10 seconds.
Garnish with whipped cream and chestnut.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Escape Mocktails Non-Alcoholic Cognac Alternative in place of the brandy and Monin Premium Hazelnut Syrup in place of the hazelnut liqueur to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Christmas Cocktails
If you like this Christmas-inspired cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Candy Cane Martini: A vodka cocktail made with white crème de cacao, white crème de menthe, simple syrup, and crushed candy cane
Cranberry Cobbler: A sherry cocktail made with cranberry syrup, orange slices, an orange wedge, mint, and cranberries
Kohler Mint Cocoa: A chocolate mint brandy cocktail made with milk, white peppermint schnapps, dark crème de cacao, cocoa powder, whipped cream, and grated chocolate
Winter Berry Gin Fizz: A gin cocktail made with lime juice, cranberry syrup, raspberry liqueur, soda water, cranberries, and rosemary
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