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Cocktail History
The Red Wine Hot Chocolate is a Christmas cocktail that was created by Jassy Davis and was first published in the book Winter Warmers: 60 Cosy Cocktails for Autumn & Winter. The recipe is another delicious take on boozy hot cocoa that adds rich dessert wine, hazelnut, and vanilla to the usual warm mixture of milk and powdered cocoa.
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.
Ruby Port: This is a fortified wine made in Portugal with a blend of red grapes. We used Sandeman Fine Ruby Porto because it has a full-bodied flavor with notes of fruit, chocolate, and spices. For a mocktail version of this drink, try R.W. Knudsen Just Concord Grape Juice mixed with lime zest in place of the wine.
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.
Vanilla Extract: This is a flavoring made with vanilla beans, ethyl alcohol, and water. We used Simply Organic Pure Madagascar Vanilla Extract.
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.
Marshmallows: This is a confectionery made from sugar, water and gelatin that is whipped to a solid-but-soft consistency. We used Dandies Vegan Gluten-Free Mini Marshmallows.
Grated Chocolate: This is candy made with cocoa, sugar, and milk. We used a Divine Milk Chocolate Bar.
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.
Grater: This is used to grate spices or citrus peel. We used the OXO Good Grips Grater.
Tasting Notes
The Red Wine Hot Chocolate has the flavors of warm, cozy chocolate at first which slowly evolves to include a dry wine note thar nicely complements and tames the sweetness a bit.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: This dessert cocktail may be a bit like putting a hat on a hat, but the flavor combination of the Red Wine Hot Chocolate is a sure fire hit for any palate that wants to sip on a semi-sweet post-dinner drink.
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: ⭐⭐⭐
“Pairing red wine with hot chocolate isn’t something I might have ever thought to do, but the flavor combination is really a tale as old as time. Dessert wines have often been a good match with chocolate (and some other drier red varieties have as well), so it actually makes sense. The sweet and sugary hot cocoa was both tamed and complemented nicely by the slightly peppery and full-bodied port wine. Meanwhile, the Frangelico offered just the right amount of hazelnut to round it out nicely.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Never in my wildest dreams would I have put red wine in hot chocolate, but as Alex said, it was surprisingly good! Alex ended up using port wine instead of Merlot, which is what the original recipe recommended. Plus, I added a little of the Frangelico, so the recipe is pretty different than the original. But our version ended up being incredibly decadent and delicious.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Winter Warmers: 60 Cosy Cocktails for Autumn & Winter by Jassy Davis.
Whisk hot cocoa mix into milk in a saucepan over medium heat.
Mix wine, hazelnut liqueur, and vanilla extract in a mug.
When warm, pour hot cocoa into mug.
Stir for 5-10 seconds.
Garnish with marshmallows and grated chocolate.
Ingredients
Directions
Whisk hot cocoa mix into milk in a saucepan over medium heat.
Mix wine, hazelnut liqueur, and vanilla extract in a mug.
When warm, pour hot cocoa into mug.
Stir for 5-10 seconds.
Garnish with marshmallows and grated chocolate.
Make It a Mocktail: Use R.W. Knudsen Just Concord Grape Juice mixed with lime zest in place of the wine 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:
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
Chestnut Hot Chocolate: A brandy cocktail made with milk, frangelico liqueur, chestnut spread, saline solution, cocoa powder, cinnamon, whipped cream, and a chestnut
Hot Peppermint Patty: A low-proof cocktail made with milk, white peppermint schnapps, dark crème de cacao, white crème de menthe, cocoa powder, whipped cream, and grated chocolate
Jalisco Hot Chocolate: A tequila cocktail made with milk, vanilla extract, hot cocoa mix, ground cinnamon, cayenne pepper, ancho chile powder, and a dried pepper
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