Red Wine Hot Chocolate

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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.

This indulgent recipe takes the comforting classic of hot cocoa and elevates it with a luxurious twist. Alongside the usual warming blend of milk and powdered cocoa, it incorporates rich dessert wine to add a deep, fruity complexity. It then enhances the flavor with notes of hazelnut and vanilla, creating a layered and velvety drink that feels both indulgent and sophisticated.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Milk: This is a beverage made with the liquid from dairy cows, which is pasteurized and homogenized to ensure safety and consistency.

Ruby Port Wine: This is a type of wine made in Portugal with red grapes and yeast, which are fermented with the grape skins to produce alcohol, fortified with brandy, and then aged briefly to develop a bold, fruity flavor.

Hazelnut Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with hazelnuts, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a rich, nutty flavor.

Vanilla Extract: This is a concentrated flavoring made by macerating vanilla beans in alcohol and water to develop a sweet, aromatic flavor.

Hot Cocoa Mix: This is a dry beverage mix made with cocoa powder, sugar, milk powder, and flavorings, which are blended together into a sweet, chocolate base that’s dissolved in hot water or milk.

Marshmallows: This is a confectionery made from sugar, water and gelatin that is whipped to a solid-but-soft consistency.

Grated Chocolate: This is candy made with cocoa, sugar, and milk.

Brands I Used

• 🔗 Prairie Farm Vitamin D Whole Milk
• 🔗 Sandeman Fine Ruby Porto
• 🔗 Frangelico Hazelnut Liqueur
• 🔗 Simply Organic Pure Madagascar Vanilla Extract
• 🔗 Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Premium Hot Cocoa Mix
• 🔗 Dandies Vegan Gluten-Free Mini Marshmallows
• 🔗 Divine Milk Chocolate Bar

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Bar Mat: This is a rubber or silicone mat that’s placed on the bar surface and used for catching spills, providing grip for glasses and tools, and keeping the workspace clean and organized.

Jigger: This is a small double-sided tool with different volume measurements on each side that’s used for accurately portioning ingredients.

Saucepan: This is a deep cooking pot with a long handle that’s used for heating and preparing ingredients on the stovetop.

Spatula: This is a flat kitchen tool with a flexible or rigid head that’s used for scraping, folding, mixing, and spreading ingredients.

Ladle: This is a large deep-bowled spoon with a long handle that’s used for scooping and serving punches and other batch drinks.

Grater: This is a kitchen tool with sharp perforated edges that’s used for finely shredding, grating, or zesting ingredients.

Irish Coffee Mug: This is a heat-resistant glass mug with a sturdy handle and footed base that’s used for serving warm cocktails and coffee drinks.

Tools I Used

• 🔗 A Bar Above 18×12 Premium Bar Mat
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Japanese Jigger
• 🔗 All-Clad 3-Ply Stainless Steel 3 Quart Sauce Pan
• 🔗 OXO Heavy Duty Silicone Spatula
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips Silicone Everyday Ladle
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips Handheld Grater
• 🔗 Libbey Irish Coffee Mug

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Dark chocolate brown color

• Aroma: Marshmallows and cocoa

• Taste: A warm and cozy chocolate flavor

• Finish: Tangy and dry red wine and dark chocolate notes

Kendall’s Take
“Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought to add some red wine to my Christmas hot cocoa, but it turns into something wonderfully rich and decadent once it all comes together. The wine deepens the chocolate in a way that feels luxurious, and this recipe’s touch of Frangelico only adds to that indulgent, nutty warmth. I’d say the Red Wine Hot Chocolate is cozy, a little dramatic, and perfect for a winter night when you want your mug of cocoa to feel extra special.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was found in the book Winter Warmers: 60 Cosy Cocktails for Autumn & Winter by Jassy Davis.