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You know those people who drink iced coffee all year round, no matter the temperature? Well, that’s how I feel about hot chocolate. I don’t need to wait for leaves to start falling—or for snow to to top the roofs of New York—before I begin melting squares of Portugal’s Vinte Vinte chocolate in the morning. (Or whenever I damn well please.) And I’m fairly flexible when it comes to garnishes: mini marshmallows, cinnamon sticks, star anise—I like it all. But not as much as I love to spike what’s in my my mug. I’m not even particularly stringent about how to top off my hot chocolate. Rum, bourbon, mezcal? Works for me. Because the thing is, nearly every spirit works quite well with a rich, well-made hot cocoa—with each lending the drink different notes and characteristics. When I’m looking to make a heat-forward blend I almost always use an agave-based liquor like mezcal, which tends to highlight the presence of chile. When it’s robust sweetness I’m in the mood for, I reach for OM chocolate liqueur or Cointreau or a cream liqueur such as Marigot Bay chocolate coffee rum cream or Five Farms Irish cream. And for added complexity in a dark hot chocolate, I typically add toasted baking spices—plus a small splash of spiced rum or Cognac. But there’s really no right (or wrong) way to do it. In my experience, bold and frequent experimentation is the key to finding your ideal hot chocolate recipe. So here are nine tried-and-true concoctions from a number of highly regarded spirits pros, from Widow Jane head distiller Sienna Jevremov to Canerock master blender Alexandre Gabriel to Diplomatico maestro roñero Nelson Hernandez—and more. Whether you follow the recipes to the T or alter them to you liking as you see fit, you’re guaranteed to have one helluva cup—or three.

Best Spiked Hot Chocolate Recipes, According To Spirits Professionals

WIDOW OF THE BLACK FOREST

Widow of the Black Forest
Sienna Jevremov
“I really appreciate a drink that builds on the flavors already inherent in the spirit. When blending Widow Jane 10-Year-Old Bourbon, I strive for bright cherry on the nose, followed by spiced maple on the palate that flows into a lovely, creamy, dark chocolate finish—all of which you can see mirrored in this cocktail.” —Sienna Jevremov, head distiller at Widow Jane Distillery

Ingredients (6 servings)

• 3 oz. Widow Jane 10-Year-Old Bourbon
• 5 oz. cherry hot chocolate*
• 1 quart water
• ⅔ cup cherry purée (Boiron Morello or homemade from a sour-and-sweet mix, blended until smooth)

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