15 Cocktails Every Chocolate Lover Should Know About

As someone who has both a sweet tooth and a love for well-made cocktails, I've found there is no shortage of drinks to enjoy that satisfy both needs — especially in New York. While you don't necessarily have to live on the East Coast to find (or make) these drinks, it helps to be in an environment that encourages beverage experimentation, speaking as a longtime bartender and someone who has spent time exploring some of the best cocktail bars in the country.

New York is a city known both for indulgent drinks and desserts, so it makes sense we'd combine them both into decadent cocktails. On this list, you'll find drinks you'll likely recognize, like the reliable chocolate martini, as well as a few that are a bit newer, more obscure, and localized. Hopefully, whether you're a traditionalist or in search of something different, you'll be inspired to try a new favorite and satisfy that after-dinner craving!

Have you ever tried a chocolate covered orange slice? Or a chocolate truffle with orange filling? This cocktail tastes very similar. An Azteca, sometimes called an Aztec, is one of the lighter, less sweet options on this list. The traditional base of bourbon can be substituted, but the constant here is the chocolate-flavored white crème de cacao. Combined with tequila and white or orange curaçao, it makes one delicious drink. 

You can enjoy the Azteca as a dessert, like many others on this list, but you could also pair it with a spicy dinner, due to the citrus flavors in the tequila and curaçao. If you want to try a more herbaceous version, use Bénédictine instead of the orange curaçao and try swapping the bourbon for Kahlua. This drink is meant to be served in a martini glass with a twist of orange to bring out the citrus notes.

If the mention of bourbon in the Aztec got you excited, this is the drink for you. The bourbon ball, a nutty chocolate drink named after the iconic Southern chocolate candy, is made with bourbon, white crème de cacao, and a hazelnut liqueur such as Frangelico or Baileys Hazelnut. Combine all of the ingredients separately in a mixer with ice, then strain into a chilled coupe, martini, or rocks glass.

There is a variation of this drink that mixes in cream and adds whipped cream on top, perfect for the holidays or if you want something a bit heavier or more indulgent. Another version uses pecan liqueur instead of hazelnut, if you want something that tastes closer to the drink's namesake, the Kentucky bourbon ball. Chocolate shavings can be added on top to add some festive flair — or as an excuse to just straight up eat a serving of chocolate with your drink.

This is one of the oldest chocolate-lover cocktails on the list. The brandy Alexander has been around since the 1900s, allegedly created at a dinner to celebrate a fictional character named Phoebe Snow. The character of Snow was created to promote clean train travel, so the original Alexander drink was comprised of gin, cream, and white crème de cacao, giving it a "white as snow" appearance. A bartender named Troy Alexander is said to have developed the recipe at Hotel Rector in New York.

The current iteration, swapping the gin for brandy, seems to have appeared in the 1930s and quickly grabbed hold of the public consciousness. It's been mentioned in popular culture touchstones such as a James Bond short story and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." Besides the brandy (or Cognac, if you prefer), you can also try a dark crème de cacao rather than the white — or why not both? Shake all of your ingredients together with ice and pour into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with delicate hazelnut shavings.

If you've spent any time in the Caribbean, you may have encountered this boozy, frozen concoction that's a cousin of the piña colada. On a hot, sandy beach, sometimes the best relief can come from something in a frosty glass that tastes like a chocolate milkshake — but better (and more alcoholic). The story goes that a bartender in St. Thomas created this drink at a resort and named it after a local dog. Later, a visiting bar owner from Florida loved it so much that she brought it back to the States.

The traditional bushwacker combines rum, coffee liqueur like Kahlua, white or dark crème de cacao, milk, coconut cream, and lots of ice for blending. Some recipes also add vodka, Baileys, triple sec, and/or amaretto liqueur, depending on how loaded with alcohol you want the drink to be. You can also swap out the milk for a non-dairy option, or go full dairy and throw in ice cream! If you want to lean into the fun, grate nutmeg on top and add whipped cream and a maraschino cherry.

If you're looking for an excuse to drink your chocolate, these next few drinks have you covered, including the chocolate blitzen. After all, if a cocktail has the word "chocolate" in its name, you know it's one of the primary ingredients. This is also an example of "good things come to those who wait," as it requires a bit more patience to create the drink's fancy rim. Although you could also just use chocolate syrup if you're in a hurry!

The name of this drink may imply this is a holiday cocktail, but there's nothing stopping you from leaning into your cravings anytime of the year. Start by melting two ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, then dip the rim of your martini glass into it. As it's cooling, add chocolate sprinkles. Now, you're ready to blend the ingredients: creme de cacao, chocolate ice cream, Irish cream liqueur, and vodka. Don't forget the added chocolate shavings (or even a mini chocolate bar) on top!

Since a regular old fashioned is relatively simple to make, it's not too hard to jazz up this recipe and introduce chocolate elements. While Angostura bitters, a must-have for classic cocktails, are typically used in the traditional old fashioned, you can also sub in orange, cherry, or of course, chocolate bitters. 

For this drink, you'll also want to add a dash of creme de cacao (or other chocolate liqueur) to the bourbon, and a melted chocolate or chocolate syrup rim. Similar to the chocolate blitzen, chocolate sprinkles, chocolate candy, or even a chocolate-dipped orange wheel can be added as garnish. Pour everything over a large ice cube in a rocks glass.

There are some chocolate-flavored bourbons on the market, so you could always grab one of those to really double down on the cocoa flavor profile. If you do, you may want to skip the traditional sugar cube or simple syrup, so you're not completely overwhelmed by sweetness — unless that's what you're going for.

"Here she is, boys! Here she is, world!" Here's the most famous of the chocolate cocktails, the chocolate martini, allegedly invented by an old Hollywood duo. Perhaps the reason it's one of the most memorable cocktails is that it's also one of the simplest to make: Just mix vodka, chocolate liqueur, and Irish cream liqueur, and shake and strain into a chilled martini glass — perhaps with a drizzle of chocolate sauce, cocoa powder, or oreo crumbs on the rim. It's the perfect nightcap, dessert drink, or indulgence when you're craving something sweet and alcoholic.

You can swap crème de cacao for the chocolate liqueur if you want something less creamy or heavy, use a flavored vodka (vanilla or a fruit flavor might be the best options), or add Kahlua and a dash of actual cream. You can of course add chocolate flakes on top of this drink, as well, for an extra chocolatey treat.

This sweet drink, originally developed by a Las Vegas bartender, is a slightly elevated cousin of the chocolate martini. Like that cocktail, this one also utilizes chocolate liqueur, along with cocoa powder and chocolate shavings, hence the three or "trois" chocolates that give it its name. It also has vodka as its base liquor, and we recommend specifically using a vodka that is corn or wheat-based, to highlight the cocoa elements.

To blend this drink, combine the vodka, chocolate liqueur, sweetened cocoa powder, a bit of simple syrup, and an egg white, to give the drink a foamy, lighter quality. Shake vigorously with no ice. The chocolate shavings are saved and sprinkled on the foam on top of the cocktail after the drink is strained and poured into the ever-versatile coupe glass.

The golden Cadillac is a classic cocktail that has been in rotation on bar menus since its invention at a California bar in the early 1950s. The story goes that a newly engaged couple asked for a special drink to celebrate their union, and the bartender dedicated the drink to the pair's notable car outside.

This drink is also relatively easy to make, provided you have the herbaceous Italian liqueur Galliano L'Autentico on hand. Galliano has a yellow or "golden" color, and its vanilla and anise flavors make it an interesting combination with chocolate. 

The golden Cadillac a close cousin of the brandy Alexander, using the Galliano instead of brandy. To make this drink, mix the Galliano with white crème de cacao, cream, and ice, and pour it into a pre-chilled cocktail or coupe glass, with optional chocolate shavings on top.

This classic comes from New Orleans in the early 1900s. If you're a fan of thin mints, mint chocolate chip ice cream, or the York peppermint pattie, you'll love a grasshopper, which tastes like one of those treats in a glass. The distinctive "grasshopper green" color of this drink comes from the crème de menthe, which makes the drink instantly recognizable and gives it that minty fresh flavor. 

Combine the green liqueur with white crème de cacao (which provides the chocolate taste), and heavy cream, and then shake with ice. Strain and pour into a chilled martini or coupe glass. Or, throw all of the ingredients in a blender with ice to make a thicker, milkshake version! You could also add a dash of nutmeg on top as a garnish. No matter how you put it all together, the grasshopper is simple and refreshing as a digestif, dessert, or holiday drink.

The left hand, one of the newer drinks on this list, with a less chocolate-forward flavor profile, comes to us courtesy of notorious New York bartender Sam Ross. Ross worked at notable cocktail bars Milk & Honey and Attaboy, and also created the modern classic cocktails Penicillin and Paper Plane. 

The left hand is similar to a boulevardier, with the addition of chocolate or mole bitters. It combines bourbon, Campari, and sweet vermouth — Carpano Antica is recommended — before adding the bitters. Stir it all with ice and pour into a chilled coupe glass with a garnish of brandied cherries. This one will give you just a hint of that chocolate flavor and still hit the spot.

You could swap out the Campari for Strucchi if you have a more eclectic bar cart. And when you're ready to try a right hand, also developed in New York, use rum instead of bourbon.

Although "hot" is in the name of this drink, you could make a frozen chocolate cocktail too, depending on your mood and the weather. Either way, the basis of this drink combines chocolate with tequila, and perhaps Grand Marnier, if you want to add more flavor and a higher alcohol content. You can use either melted chocolate or a chocolate powder depending on how creamy and potent you want the drink to be. Personally, I always keep packages of powdered hot cocoa on hand — you never know when you'll want to get cozy!

The core recipe uses chocolate, milk, and tequila (or even mezcal, if you want a smokier version). You can add a pinch of cayenne pepper for extra bite, or a dash of vanilla extract for additional flavor, as well as a cinnamon stick, ground cinnamon, marshmallows, or whipped cream for garnish. If you're not a fan of tequila, there are other liquors that combine well with hot chocolate. The possibilities are endless.

Just as the grasshopper has a recognizable green color, the robin's nest is distinctly red, likely named after the bird's red breast. It's also a bit tart from the cranberry juice used, which makes it one of the slightly less sweet options here. This is another three-ingredient cocktail: vodka, white crème de cacao, and the aforementioned cranberry juice.

You'll want to use a smooth vodka to allow the chocolate and cranberry flavors to come through, and white instead of dark crème de cacao so as not to dilute the color of the drink. Make sure to find a cranberry juice that has a hint of sugar in it — if you're using pure cranberry juice it might be too sour to drink. As always, you'll want to shake this cocktail with ice and pour into a chilled coupe glass. You could make a batch and refrigerate for later use, too.

If you're in the mood for something that feels bright and tropical but still chocolatey, the recently developed Whiskey Sea is for you. Despite the moniker, this cocktail doesn't use any whiskey at all. The drink's name comes from the title of the 2016 novel "The Whiskey Sea," by Ann Howard Creel, featuring a woman involved in rum-running during Prohibition. The cocktail was developed at The Manor Bar in Montecito, California, where all of the cocktails are named after female-authored books with strong women protagonists.

The cocktail blends aged rum and banana liqueur with crème de cacao, along with lemon juice and grapefruit bitters. Stir together all of the ingredients with ice, and then strain the contents over a large ice cube in a rocks glass. If you happen to have a dried banana slice handy as garnish, even better.

Closing out our chocolate cocktail list is another variation on the brandy Alexander, and one more fun-colored drink: the Pink Squirrel, an iconic Wisconsin cocktail. This drink was born in the Midwest in the 1940s, at a cocktail lounge in Milwaukee. It's another three-ingredient cocktail, using crème de noyaux (an almond-flavored liqueur with a red color), white crème de cacao, and heavy cream or ice cream.

Interestingly, the crème de noyaux gets its flavor from the pit of stone fruits such as peaches and cherries. If it's too hard to come by, since this is one of the rare drinks that still uses it, amaretto liqueur can be substituted. If you're trying to make a lighter drink, try swapping half and half for the cream. Whichever ingredients you decide to use should be well-chilled, shaken, and poured into a cold coupe glass, with nutmeg dusted on top.