5 Cocoa Powder Cocktails You Can Curl Up With This Winter

The closest Mumbai gets to winters is when my colleagues create an artificial cold-zone by cranking up the AC to the lowest possible temperature. And when that happens, my craving for a hot cocoa only intensifies. And there’s truly no better way to celebrate this festive season and the winter (artificial or not) other than mixing a healthy serving of booze in our chocolate. So, here are 5 cocoa powder cocktails you can make at home and warm yourself up with.

1. The Grasshopper Lies Heavy

This Grasshopper must be lying heavy but you are only going to utter the raw truth after drinking this cocoa-filled cocktail. Be prepared to fight the cold by announcing it to everyone around you, and how –

What you’ll need:

• 60 ml herbal liqueur
• 15 ml simple syrup
• 1 egg white
• 2 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 30 ml soda water
• 4 ice cubes

Instructions:

1. Add everything, except for soda water, to a shaker
2. Shake well and pour into a glass
3. Top it with soda water 
4. Garnish with a pinch of cocoa powder and serve

2. Cocoa À Trois

If you could drink a piece of chocolate cake, would you? I would! The Cocoa À Trois cocktail is a perfect chocolate boozy beverage. Drink one after a meal and satisfy your sweet tooth in this thanda mausam.

What you’ll need:

• 60 ml vodka
• 30 ml chocolate liqueur
• 15 ml simple syrup
• 1/4 tsp sweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp egg white
• Chocolate shavings

Instructions:

1. Add all the ingredients to a shaker
2. Shake until cocoa powder dissolves
3. Pour into a chilled glass
4. Garnish with chocolate shavings and serve

3. Pushkin’s Milkshake

Whoever this Pushkin is, let me tell you that he/she is a daarubaaz. This milkshake is a boozeshake, and I am pretty sure you’ll appreciate Pushkin for this idea.

What you’ll need:

• 30 ml coffee vodka
• 15 ml orange vodka
• 30 ml full cream milk
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp whipped cream
• 1 pinch of nutmeg powder

Instructions:

1. Add vodka, milk and cocoa powder to a shaker
2. Shake until cocoa powder dissolves
3. Pour into a chilled glass
4. Garnish with whipped cream and nutmeg powder, and serve

4. Spiced Cocoa

If you are a little weird and like a bit of spice in your sweets, worry not! We have this Spiced Cocoa cocktail recipe especially for you.

What you’ll need:

• 60 ml bourbon
• 7.5 ml walnut liqueur
• 60 ml Spicy Hot Cocoa
• 2 chili peppers

For Spicy Hot Cocoa

• 1/2  tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2  tbsp sugar 
• 1 pinch of salt 
• 1 pinch of cayenne pepper 
• 1/4 cup hot water

Instructions:

Spicy Hot Cocoa

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl
2. Add hot water to it
3. Stir until ingredients dissolve

Spiced Cocoa

1. Preheat a mug with hot water for 30 seconds
2. Discard the water
3. Add bourbon, walnut liqueur and spicy hot cocoa to it
4. Stir well
5. Garnish with chili peppers and serve

5. Egyptian Lover 

There is no need for a human lover when you have a boozy one like the special Egyptian Lover cocktail. Sit down with one of these babies and your evening is set.

What you’ll need:

• 30 ml cognac
• 30 ml cold milk
• 1 shot chilled espresso
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp cocoa powder
• 4 ice cubes

Instructions:

1. Add ice, cognac, espresso, cocoa powder and sugar to a glass (in this order)
2. Stir gently
3. Add milk and stir gently again
4. Garnish with cocoa powder and serve