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Cocktail History
The Death By Chocolate is a holiday cocktail that was created by author Jassy Davis and was first published in her book Winter Warmers: 60 Cosy Cocktails for Autumn & Winter. The recipe calls for mixing thick stout beer with vodka and sweet Tia Maria coffee liqueur, but we opted to omit the vodka altogether and add some bright citrus flavors by using triple sec instead. The result is a unique dessert drink that has a mix of flavors that are reminiscent of the chocolate oranges you see in stores leading up to Christmas.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Chocolate Stout Beer: This is the base spirit. We used Samuel Smith Chocolate Stout because it has a unique malt flavor with dark chocolate notes. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Untitled Art Non Alcoholic Chocolate Milk Stout in place of the beer.
Coffee Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with coffee, vanilla, sugar, and a neutral grain spirit. We used Tia Maria Cold Crew Coffee Liqueur because it has a sweet yet full-bodied flavor accented with strong coffee notes. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Coffee Originale in place of the coffee liqueur.
Triple Sec: This is an orange liqueur. It adds sweet citrus flavors for balance. We went with Cointreau because it’s one of the highest quality triple secs on the market. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Orange Sec in place of the triple sec.
Tasting Notes
The Death By Chocolate begins with heavy orange and chocolate aromas followed by a coffee-forward stout beer taste that has bits of orange, vanilla, hops, and extra chocolate, and the whole thing is chased with a lingering sweet note of cocoa.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Kendall wasn’t exactly crazy about the combination; she got a little too much stout beer in the after product for her liking. That said, Alex went mad over the flavors, likening it heavily to a dark chocolate orange, which is a delicacy he still receives in his stocking from his parents every 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: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I loved this drink far more than I expected. I am personally an infrequent stout drinker, as much as I do enjoy most beer, but I found this combination of flavors to be the perfect accompaniment to what the beer already brought. While the coffee liqueur sort of added and accentuated more of the same, the orange liqueur brought an entirely new aspect to the bouquet of flavors; the smell honestly reminded me heavily of Terry’s Chocolate Oranges, which my parents still get me one of each Christmas. The liqueurs also helped to “water down” the typically very heavy stout, which I appreciated. Overall I’d highly recommend this cocktail, for lovers of stout AND those who aren’t totally convinced on it.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“I’ve come to look forward to trying cocktails that call for stout beer as one of the spirits because they’re always really interesting and feature an unexpected mix of flavors. I found this one to be a bit underwhelming though, and I think that’s because the description in the book built it up quite a bit. The recipe is good but mostly tasted likely sweetened beer to me, and I only got a hint of the citrus. I wouldn’t make this again, but it’s worth a try.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Winter Warmers: 60 Cosy Cocktails for Autumn & Winter by Jassy Davis.
Add coffee liqueur and triple sec to a snifter.
Top with beer.
Ingredients
Directions
Add coffee liqueur and triple sec to a snifter.
Top with beer.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Untitled Art Non Alcoholic Chocolate Milk Stout in place of the beer, Lyre’s Coffee Originale in place of the coffee liqueur, and Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Orange Sec in place of the triple sec to try a low-proof 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 are similar 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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