3 Easy Ways To Dress Up Your Next Chocolate Mudslide Drink

If you're into cocktails like chocolate mudslides, it's safe to say you like your drinks a little bit fancy. But if you want to dress up this recipe even further, mixologist Lynnette Marrero, one of the country's most prominent female bartenders who was recently honored at New York Bartender Week, has some suggestions to kick it up a notch. You'll start by equipping your bar with the essentials. For this drink, that means, vodka, ​​Kahlúa, Bailey's, and heavy cream, as well as ice if you're serving it cold. Some recipes include ice cream as well, but that veers into the territory of desserts. For these variations, the Bailey's and cream will be decadent enough.

Set aside a fancy coupe for this one, because the right glassware can make the most of any cocktail. A stemmed glass prevents your hand from warming the concoction too much, makes it more comfortable to hold, and just looks special. You can also chill the glass ahead of time for extra points. Now let's get to Marrero's suggestions.

Sure, vodka is the standard for this recipe. But who says you have to stick with it? Marrero says, "You can swap the vodka with aged rum or bourbon for depth." This makes sense because while unflavored vodka has a clean, neutral taste, it won't add any special nuances to the mix. On the other hand, rum is typically sweeter. Gold rum, which is aged in wood barrels, can impart some oakiness or vanilla to the drink. Jamaican rum is even sweeter, but with a darker, molasses taste that pairs well with the chocolate in the drink.

If boosting the sweetness of the drink is not to your liking, bourbon is a good alternative. It can be rich, oaky, smoky, or spicy. Depending on the type of bourbon you choose, you might also notice notes of grain, nutmeg, caramel, or cinnamon in the drink. Sounds a little like a candy bar.

Marrero's next suggestion is, "Use homemade chocolate syrup made with high quality cacao powder or melt some ganache to drizzle instead of bottled options." This idea hearkens back to our recipe for the Psycho Killer, which infuses cocoa nibs in the Campari. It's also similar to our tip for using cacao butter to make richer chocolate cocktails. 

The idea is that when you're using chocolate, the quality of the ingredients can make a huge difference. Look for natural cocoa powder, which retains the taste and smell of the cacao beans, not Dutched powder, which has been processed to be less bitter. Cooking it with sugar, water, and just a pinch of salt will yield a rich, delicious syrup.

If you want to skip that step, you can buy ready-made ganache. It'll provide a swirl of intense chocolate flavor in the drink. Drizzle it inside the glass before you fill it for beautiful dark ribbons, and save a little to scribble on top. Delicious!

For those who like it hot, Marrero has another tip for extra-enticing mudslides. "I like to add a pinch of cinnamon or chili powder (or both) to highlight the chocolate notes," she says. Both of these spices have a warmth that contrasts nicely with the cold, creamy ingredients, and the history of this combination goes way back.

The first people to use chocolate were the Mayans of Central America. They brewed cacao beans with chili peppers and turned them into a frothy, spicy hot cocoa. Whoever stirred up the first batch had a hit on their hands, and many people at the time drank this concoction every day. In our case, a spicy mudslide might not be everyday fare, but it's certainly a way to give this classic drink a kick. It might pair especially well with spicy food, or as a warming treat to enjoy over a cozy night by the fire.