Booze Up Rich Hot Chocolate With A Splash Of Grand Marnier

Hot chocolate is one of the best sweet drinks out there. And while there's no denying that it's utterly delicious in its original form, many adults would contend that a splash of booze makes it as much of a nightcap as it is a sweet treat. This brings us to one very important question: What kind of booze is the best addition to hot chocolate?

You could easily go with something straightforward, like rum or bourbon, but we think there's a case to be made for Grand Marnier, the orange-flavored liqueur. If you've ever had orange-infused chocolate, then you know the two make for a great flavor pairing. With this in mind, it only makes sense to reach for Grand Marnier when you want to transform your hot chocolate into an alcoholic beverage. Grand Marnier provides that orange flavor to complement the chocolate but also gives the drink a nice boozy kick. To get you started, you can look to our recipe for Spiced Grand Marnier Hot Chocolate, which infuses spices into the orange-chocolate mix for a more complex flavor.

It's also worth noting that while we think Grand Marnier is a great choice, it's not the only one for achieving the orange-infused hot chocolate. You can use any orange liqueur, such as Cointreau or triple sec, to flavor your warm mug of hot chocolate.

Adding that splash of Grand Marnier will take your hot chocolate to the next level all on its own. But for the most decadent mug of hot cocoa, there are other ingredients you can add into the mix to make the treat even more indulgent. Of course, hot chocolate isn't at its best unless it has a dollop of whipped cream on top — and this is true for boozy hot chocolate as well — so start with that.

Beyond whipped cream, you may want to up the ante on the orange flavor. To do this, you can add a couple tablespoons of orange juice to make the citrus flavor much more noticeable without having to add too much booze. You'll also avoid having the taste of alcohol overpower the chocolate and orange foundation. Another way to get in some extra orange flavor is to buy an orange-flavored chocolate bar and dice it up into ultra small chunks (or use a vegetable peeler to make chocolate shavings) to accompany the whipped cream.

If you're someone who likes a little extra garnishing flair, add a fresh orange slice — or a piece of dried or candied orange — to the hot chocolate to tie everything together.