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Cocktail History
The Chocolate-Covered Cherry 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. Originally based on a shot the author once tried at another bar, his recipe actually called for just equal parts Heering Cherry Liqueur and dark crème de cacao, but we decided to add an ounce of Cognac for more body and booziness. We also dialed down the cherry liqueur for more balance.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
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.
Dark Crème De Cacao: This is a liqueur made with dark chocolate, spices, sugar, and alcohol. We used DeKuyper Crème De Cacao Dark Liqueur because it’s flavorful and affordable. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Monin Premium Dark Chocolate Syrup in place of the dark chocolate liqueur.
Heering Cherry Liqueur: This is a liqueur made in Denmark with Stevens cherries, baking spices, almonds, sugar, and alcohol. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Monin Premium Cherry Syrup in place of the cherry liqueur.
Cherry: This is a fruit that has been soaked in brandy and rich syrup. We used Luxardo Maraschino Cherries because they’re high quality and delicious.
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.
Mixing Glass: This is used to hold the ingredients while they’re being stirred. We used the Viski 17 oz Cocktail Mixing Glass.
Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. We used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.
Julep Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is stirred. We used the A Bar Above Julep Strainer.
Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. We used one from the KingSeal Bamboo Knot Cocktail Pick Set.
Tasting Notes
The Chocolate-Covered Cherry features delightful aromas of cherry, the initially sweet taste of cherry and chocolate on top of Cognac’s deep spirituousness, and then a dark cocoa-cherry flavor along with a lingering oakiness as it goes down.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: After seeing its short list of ingredients, we weren’t expecting much complexity from this drink and instead assumed the Chocolate-Covered Cherry would more or less just be a tasty sweet drink. But we both absolutely loved this riff! It just goes to show you can never underestimate a well-balanced dessert cocktail no matter how simple it is.
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 drink was very delightful, and it offered more complexity than I expected. The original recipe was just 1 ½ oz Heering Cherry Liqueur and 1 ½ oz Dark Crème De Cacao, which I figured would be way too sweet. To fix this, I threw in one ounce of Cognac and kept the cherry liqueur at ½ oz, and I thought the result was fantastic. Cognac’s complexity and boldness brought a lot more character to the cocktail that would’ve been missing otherwise, and the cherry was still present but not overwhelming.”
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Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This is a much more sophisticated dessert cocktail than the other Christmas recipes we’ve tried, and I really enjoyed it. All three flavors—Cognac, cherry, and chocolate—play together very well thanks to the tweaks Alex made to this recipe’s specifications. I could absolutely see myself sipping on the Chocolate-Covered Cherry after a holiday dinner.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Artisanal Kitchen: Holiday Cocktails by Nick Mautone.
Add brandy, dark crème de cacao, cherry liqueur, and cubed ice to a mixing glass.
Stir for 20-30 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with cherry.
Ingredients
Directions
Add brandy, dark crème de cacao, cherry liqueur, and cubed ice to a mixing glass.
Stir for 20-30 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with cherry.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Escape Mocktails Non-Alcoholic Cognac Alternative in place of the brandy, Monin Premium Dark Chocolate Syrup in place of the dark chocolate liqueur, and Monin Premium Cherry Syrup in place of the cherry 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:
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
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
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