Is there anything more classic at Christmas than a cuppa cocoa?!
A piping hot cup of cocoa really can warm the spirit around the chilly winter season. There’s something comforting about cozying up with a chocolaty cocoa on a cool night. Unfortunately, hot cocoa and Florida don’t always mix…so this cocktail features an icy cool twist on the classic. Served over ice and spiked with a mix of rums, this spiced rum cocoa isn’t your average holiday cocktail!
instructions
This cocktail comes together in a flash--simply add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker at the same time, shake to combine, then pour into the glass of your choice. While this recipe is for one drink, you can quickly scale it up or cut the portion size and serve it shooter-style (if that's your thing).
While chocolate is the backbone of this beverage, the spiced rum is really the star in this cocoa.
Having a big crowd over? Make a batch of this cocktail and keep it in the fridge until your party guests arrive! It's sure to spice up any cocoa bar this season. You can even serve this drink frozen if you like. Of course, you can heat things up as well and serve it warm. Scale up the recipe, combine all the ingredients (minus the garnishes and ice) in a crockpot, and you've got hot spiced rum cocoa for a crowd!
ingredients
This cocktail is made of:
- chocolate syrup: homemade chocolate syrup is the base of this cocktail recipe, bringing chocolaty richness in a big way.
Yes, you can 100% use store-bought chocolate syrup. But please do consider whipping up a batch of homemade chocolate syrup for your next cooking project! - almond milk: the subtle nutty flavor of almond milk blends so nicely with the chocolate and rum in this recipe!
Of course, you can use any milk or milk alternative you like. - spiced rum: Chairman’s Reserve spiced rum is a wonderfully smooth St. Lucian rum. It has notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, with a twist of citrus, and it mixes beautifully with the chocolate in this drink.
You can use any spiced rum you like, and I promise I won't judge if it's Captain Morgan. - dark rum: a splash of dark rum adds depth of flavor and sweetness.
Coruba dark rum is usually our dark rum of choice for its deep, sweet, molasses flavor. But I was gifted a bottle of Soggy Dollar dark rum for my birthday from my father and that's what I opted to use in this cocktail. Of course, you can't go wrong with Meyers dark rum, too! - overproof rum: a smidge of overproof rum keeps things funky.
You can totally leave this out...but it's the holidays, so why not? Plantation O.F.T.D. overproof rum is a great option for your bar cart-- it works so well in a variety of cocktails thanks to it's complex flavor profile. - cinnamon: in stick form, specifically.
Yes, it's a little pricey, but once you've tasted freshly grated cinnamon atop your cocktails, you won't look back! These cinnamon sticks by Diaspora Co. are my favorite, because they are flavorful and they are fair trade! - whipped topping: while marshmallows usually steal the hot cocoa show, whipped cream steps in to up the cool and creamy flavor of this iced cocoa version.
fun in a flash: recipe q+a
No.
Okay, kidding! Of course you can. You'll want to evoke some of the same spiced flavors of the spiced rum though.
You can achieve this by grinding up some allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg & clove!
Or you can simply purchase pumpkin pie spice, or apple pie spice, and add it into the cocktail shaker when you're prepping the cocoa.
Yes, you can.
Just keep in mind that many spices that are commercially available in major grocery chains have been sitting there for months--even years, so the flavor profile won't be as strong.
You may need a bigger pinch to get the same cinnamon punch when garnishing.
Yes, make it your own!
While the mix of rums blends nicely, you can opt for just the spiced rum. Leave out the overproof rum if it sounds a little too strong for your liking, after all it does pack a punch!
If you don't have the specific brand of rums used, simply use what you have! But...I do encourage you to check out the rums mentioned in the post because they really are lovely.
🥣 recipe
Spiced Rum Cocoa
Equipment
- 1 cocktail glass
Ingredients
- 1 oz chocolate syrup
- 3 oz almond milk or other milk of choice
- 2 oz spiced rum
- ½ oz dark rum
- ½ oz overproof rum
- 1 stick cinnamon freshly grated, for garnish
- whipped topping for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Combine all drink ingredients in the cocktail shaker, except for garnishes.
- Shake for at least 30 seconds.
- Pour into the glass of your choice.
- Garnish with whipped topping and freshly grated cinnamon stick.
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