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Cocktail History
The Chocolate-Covered Cherry is a Christmas cocktail that was created by Nick Mautone of the Rainbow Room in New York City, New York and was included in his book in The Artisanal Kitchen: Holiday Cocktails. Originally based on a shot the author once tried, 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 the base spirit. It’s a type of brandy made from distilled white wine in Cognac, France. 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 chocolate liqueur that adds dark cocoa notes. We used one made by DeKuyper.
Heering Cherry Liqueur: This gives the drink its deep cherry flavor. When recipes specifically call for Heering Cherry Liqueur, it does so because this liqueur has a very distinct taste that can’t be replicated by substitutes. You can use other cherry liqueurs if you can’t find Heering’s, but just know it won’t quite be the same. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Monin Non-Alcoholic Cherry Syrup or homemade cherry syrup in place of the liqueur.
Cherry: This is the garnish. We prefer Luxardo Maraschino cherries.
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 it 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 had 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 drink 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 this one 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 and Monin Non-Alcoholic Cherry Syrup or homemade cherry syrup in place of the liqueur to try a booze-free version of this drink.
Tools & Glassware We Recommend
More Christmas Cocktails
If you like this Christmas 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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