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Cocoa Gin vs Chocolate Orange Gin Liqueur: make them both, then decide which one wins!
Feb 17, 2020
Ah, chocolate. Has any food stuff ever inspired as much adoration and worship? Here at Craft Gin Club, we often treat our lucky members to a bar or two of the most decadent and delicious chocolate we can find to accompany their spirits in our Gin of the Month boxes.
So, we’ve taken inspiration from this mouthwatering treat and come up with two incredibly more-ish ways to combine our love of chocolate with our passion for gin: homemade cocoa gin and chocolate orange gin liqueur!
These recipes are unbelievably easy - really, it’s just a question of putting a couple of ingredients into a jar and forgetting about it! A mere day or two later, you’ve got yourself a bottle of the most fabulous drink to share with your best gin pals and loved ones (or, you know, hide in the cupboard for yourself…)
But which one is the more delicious? We simply couldn’t say… Why not have a go at both of these easy recipes and decide for yourself? Let us know your favourite!
How to make chocolate gin
Chocolate gin is delicious with tonic over ice and a slice of orange to garnish!
To make this delicious gin drink you will need:
- 15g cocoa nibs*
- 250ml gin
15g cocoa nibs*
250ml gin
All you need to do is combine the nibs and the gin in a clean, sterilised jar. Give it a good stir and then leave the ingredients to infuse for at least 12 hours, shaking the gin occasionally to help the process along. Strain your chocolate gin into a clean bottle.
The longer you leave the cocoa to infuse, the stronger the flavour will be - cocoa nibs are quite bitter and intensely flavoured, so we recommend leaving the nibs to steep for less time than you would for, say, a fruit-infused gin. The colour will also get a little darker.
Even after a day, these quantities of ingredients do produce quite a strong, concentrated cocoa flavour - you can use more gin (or fewer cocoa nibs) to create a more subtle infusion. Note that this isn’t a particularly sweet drink - it’s still very much a gin, just with the earthy notes of natural chocolate adding a little delicious depth.
*What are cocoa nibs?
Also known as cacao nibs, these are small pieces of crushed cocoa beans that have a bitter, chocolatey flavor. You can use roasted or raw cacao nibs for this recipe. You can usually find them in the baking section of the supermarket or online. We don’t recommend using normal chocolate.
How to drink cocoa gin
- Chocolate or cocoa gin is delicious simply served with your favourite, neutral tonic and a slice of orange to garnish.
- Try our fabulous cocktail recipe for a Chocolate & Sage Martini (below) for something a little more extravagant!
Chocolate or cocoa gin is delicious simply served with your favourite, neutral tonic and a slice of orange to garnish.
Try our fabulous cocktail recipe for a Chocolate & Sage Martini (below) for something a little more extravagant!
Alternatively, transform your homemade spirit into a sweet, syrupy and citrus-led Chocolate Orange Gin Liqueur!
Use your homemade chocolate orange gin liqueur to create fabulous cocktails - or drink it neat!
How to make Chocolate Orange Gin Liqueur
- 20g cocoa nibs
20g cocoa nibs
- 70cl gin
- 200g caster sugar
- Zest of one orange (avoiding the bitter white pith)
70cl gin
200g caster sugar
Zest of one orange (avoiding the bitter white pith)
As in the chocolate gin recipe, all you need to do is add all the ingredients into a clean, sterilised jar, shake, and leave to infuse for at least twelve hours.
Taste the liquid after this time and see if you have the desired flavour and texture - add a little more sugar, if you like, which will create a thicker, more syrupy ‘liqueur’ texture as well as adding sweetness. The orange and cocoa flavours will also intensify the longer that you leave the gin liqueur to steep.
How to drink Chocolate Orange Gin Liqueur
- Add a little boozy warmth to your homemade hot chocolate! Deee-lish!
- Enjoy it on its own, or over ice, at the end of a meal instead of (or accompanying) dessert.
Add a little boozy warmth to your homemade hot chocolate! Deee-lish!
Enjoy it on its own, or over ice, at the end of a meal instead of (or accompanying) dessert.
Hot chocolate with homemade chocolate orange liqueur is a decadent winter treat!
Chocolate & Sage Martini
Who could have guessed that chocolate and sage would work so well together? Here at Craft Gin Club HQ we have fallen in love with the way they come together in this delightfully indulgent martini. It’s perfect for a romantic night in - or any other night in for that matter!
As soon as this cocktail passed our lips, we just knew that we had to share the recipe with our members in their February issue of GINNED! Magazine. Fair warning though, this cocktail takes a little patience, so we think it’s best saved for an extra special night in!
Here’s how to make your Chocolate and Sage Martini:
35ml chocolate gin (see above)
35ml sweet vermouth
5ml sage syrup*
1 dash Angostura bitters
Sage, to garnish
*Begin by making a sage syrup: add eight sage leaves and 200ml of water to a saucepan and simmer. Once simmering, add 200g caster sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Take off the heat and leave to infuse for 10 or 15 minutes. Strain the leaves out and cool before use.
Fill a mixing jug or glass with ice and add your ingredients. Stir well, then strain into a cocktail coupe or Martini glass. Garnish and serve.
