Hot chocolate is a delightfully delicious drink excellent for any time of day. If you want to wake up or fall asleep or maybe bring some tenderness to your day, hot chocolate is the drink you can never go wrong with. 

Still, even the best ideas can be improved, so if you want your hot chocolate even hotter, spike it with some alcohol to bring out its flavors and add some kick. So, what is the best alcohol for hot chocolate? 

When it comes to spiking hot chocolate, it works very similarly to spiking coffee, tea, or milk. Since it is naturally sweet, hot chocolate works excellent when spiked with spirits, such as rum, whiskey, brandy, and bourbon. 

Some like to spike their hot chocolate with vodka, but it is an idea that can go both ways, and it’s a little risky as chances are, you won’t like it.

However, you may be surprised and make vodka-spiked hot chocolate your favorite drink, so I would say give it a shot, but don’t get your hopes too high. 

Wine isn’t the best option for hot chocolate. The sourness of the wine doesn’t sit well with the sweetness of the hot chocolate.

Also, wine is a fruity drink, tasting predominantly like grapes, and although in theory, they seem like a good idea, still, in practice, they don’t mix all that well. 

Also check: 20 Best Sweet Alcoholic Drinks for Beginners 

Top 15 Alcohol For Hot Chocolate

Liqueurs a very much at play here too, so if you have some coffee or orange liqueur lying around, don’t think twice before pouring some into your hot chocolate. 

In this article, I will give you a list of 15 drinks you can mix with hot chocolate to spike it and give it a little edge and a little kick. 

1. Kahlua 

Kahlua is a coffee-flavored liqueur featured in many cocktails. It is known for its creaminess and richness, injecting the drink with the recognizable coffee bitterness, giving edge, flavor, and kick. 

Hot chocolate spiked with Kahlua may be the best decision you make that day. The two contrasting flavors mix together, creating a delicious result.

Your hot chocolate will get a bitter note intensifying its sweetness, so don’t be surprised if you feel the sweet flavor even more intensely. 

On the other hand, the overall thickness and creaminess of the hot chocolate will mellow down the intensity of the Kahlua bitterness.

This is a very popular combination, meaning the flavors mash so well that everyone likes the result. Moreover, you can adjust the Kahlua amount, as there is no set recipe. 

2. Grand Marnier 

Grand Marnier is an exquisite orange-flavored liqueur known for its use in dessert-making. Therefore, it is only natural to give it a spot on this list, as hot chocolate is somewhere between a drink and a dessert. 

With some orange wheels and cinnamon sticks, your Grand Marnier-spiked hot chocolate will be the star of the gathering or the perfect drink to have by yourself. The Grand Marnier orange liqueur has a certain bitterness, not explicit, but understated, yet noticeable. 

That bitter note rubs onto the hot chocolate creating a resulting bittersweet flavor, which will amaze you with its playfulness.

The cinnamon stick, in addition to being decorative, will intensify the sweetness and bitterness playing in your hot chocolate, rounding everything out with its sweet spiciness.

3. Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey

Sweet and refined, Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey is an excellent drink to mix with your hot chocolate. It will inject a certain warmth that the hot chocolate lacks.

The noticeable honey tones of the Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey mix amazingly with the sweetness of the hot chocolate. 

You will undoubtedly feel the ethanol flavor and aroma in your hot chocolate, dimming down the sweetness and increasing the alcoholic dimension of the combination.

What makes this drink an excellent choice for your hot chocolate is the fact that it creates a whole new result as both flavors fuse together. 

4. Jack Daniels Gentleman 

Rugged, assertive, and rich, the Jack Daniels Gentleman will give your hot chocolate a very different dimension than what you might expect.

Smoky and leathery, with tones of vanilla, the Gentleman expression will give you an expressively alcohol-flavored hot chocolate, tasting like whiskey. 

Strong-flavored, the Gentleman doesn’t go unnoticed, and moreover, it takes the leadership and steers the tasting notes.

Therefore, instead of getting a whiskey-flavored hot chocolate, you get a chocolate-flavored whiskey. Even if you aren’t that big of a whisky fan, this combination deserves at least a try. 

5. Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey

Cinnamon is an excellent spice for sweets and is therefore frequently used in desserts, as well as sweet beverages. Now, imagine a lot a cinnamon and whiskey mixed together, of which you drop a few drops into your hot chocolate. 

Start slowly and cautiously, as there is undoubtedly such a thing as too much Fireball. To some extent, Fireball whiskey will intensify the already existing flavors in your hot chocolate, but beyond that, it will take over. 

Fireball whiskey isn’t a slow sipper, and it works best as shots or in cocktails. Adding too much Fireball to your hot chocolate will overwhelm the overall flavor creating a slightly unpleasant main tasting note.

So, if you are a fan of cinnamon but not a fan of heavy flavors, a few drops of Fireball whiskey in your hot chocolate are more than enough.  

6. Johnnie Walker Red Label 

The Red Label expression is the harshest in the Johnnie Walker assortment, which makes it the perfect drink for cocktails and spiked drinks.

In your hot chocolate, the Johnnie Walker Red Label creates a certain sharpness, giving your hot chocolate a slight ruggedness and intensity. 

With a very noticeable ethanol note, the Red Label combined with hot chocolate creates a very well-balanced result with equally expressive sweet and sharp tones. If you lime combining contrasting tastes, the Red Label is a great drink to spike your hot chocolate with. 

7. Captain Morgan Rum

Sweet and spicy, the Captain Morgan rum is one of the best spiking drinks and is, therefore, often used in coffee, tea, milk, and, of course, hot chocolate. If you like combining sweet and sweet, this should be your choice. 

With a noticeable alcoholic flavor and a natural sweetness, the Captain Morgan rum will sharpen up your hot chocolate and make it even sweeter.

The result will undoubtedly be delicious, but it may be a little too sweet. If this happens, a slice of sour green apple will do the trick to balance the flavors. 

8. Malibu Rum

Sweet, rich, and creamy, with expressive coconut flavor, the Malibu rum can give your hot chocolate a slight tropical dimension.

The coconut notes in your hot chocolate won’t intensify its sweetness, but they will blend with it in such a way that you will feel them all at the same time. 

To make this combination even more successful, add some cream, whether coconut or regular, to make the story even creamier and silkier. 

9. Amaretto 

With its sweet, nutty tones, of which the almond note is the most expressive one, Amaretto mixes excellently with hot chocolate. It injects it with a nutty flavor, intensifying the chocolate tone of the hot chocolate. 

In turn, the sweetness of the hot chocolate augments the nuttiness of the Amaretto. The resulting flavor is sweet, chocolaty, nutty, and just a tad bitter. Slap some whipped cream on top to seduce your eyes as well as your palate. 

10. Tequila Blanco

Most famous for shots and as a cocktail mixer, tequila blanco fits excellently in hot chocolate. You can also add some agave syrup to intensify the tequila notes.

The bitter and sharp tequila flavour will intensify the hot chocolate notes, adding a slight herbal note and a gentle agave dimension. 

However, a tequila-spiked hot chocolate is a strong-flavored drink, so if you don’t like intense tastes, it may not be the perfect fit for you. Nevertheless, it is most certainly worth a shot. 

11. Peppermint Vodka 

Herbal, refreshing, and chili peppermint vodka is an excellent drink to spike your hot chocolate with. Hot chocolate and peppermint vodka create a result similar to Thin Mints, fresh and flavorful. 

Some would say that peppermint vodka makes hot chocolate taste like tea. Although, in theory, it sounds a bit odd, in practice, it works marvelously.

Don’t go too far, though; start slowly and adjust the vodka amount as you go. Peppermint vodka can easily overwhelm your hot chocolate. 

12. Marshmallow Vodka

It is no secret that marshmallows and hot chocolate are a match made in heaven/ Marshmallow vodka and hot chocolate will not only delight you with its deliciousness, but it may also make you chuckle a little.

The marshmallow vodka will give your hot chocolate a much-needed edge, while the hot chocolate will mellow down the vodka. 

The resulting flavor will be sweet, slightly bitter, marshmallowy, and in a word, heavenly.

13. Baileys 

Baileys is a liqueur tasting like vanilla, milk, and chocolate, making it the perfect ingredient to add to your hot chocolate drink.

It will add a little zing to the hot chocolate, infusing it with that alcoholic flavor, as well as injecting more taste into it. Hot chocolate goes great with the vanilla and milk flavors. To further enrich your spiked beverage, you can add some rum extract too. 

14. Triple Sec

The orange-flavored, edgy, and refreshing triple-sec liqueur is an excellent addition to your hot chocolate. The chocolate flavor is very compatible with the orange flavor, so you can mix them and enjoy the result. Your hot chocolate will taste edgy and zingy, refreshing, and citrusy. 

15. Blackfish Chocolate Liqueur 

Blackfish Chocolate Liqueur Tasting expressively like cocoa, the Blackfish chocolate liqueur will add intensity and playfulness to your hot chocolate.

Furthermore, the creamy and edgy Blackfish liqueur will make your hot chocolate even creamier and very delicious. The result will be a bittersweet spiked hot chocolate you will definitely enjoy very much. 

What Alcohol Mixes Well With Chocolate?

Chocolate is the coke of the sweets as it mixes with virtually any alcohol. From spirits to wines to liqueurs, everything mixes with chocolate. In any shape or form, chocolate can spice up and enrich your alcoholic drink. 

Mixed with a spirit, such as vodka, rum, tequila, gin, or whiskey, chocolate creates a bittersweet dimension to the drink. The sparkle and sting of the spirit mix delightfully well with the sweetness of the chocolate. 

Wines and chocolate are made for each other, so next time you decide to treat yourself to a glass of wine, don’t think twice before pairing it with a nice dark chocolate. Fruit liqueurs are already sweet, so it is only logical that they go great with chocolate. 

Believe it or not, herbal drinks go with chocolate great too. Coffee-flavored liqueurs are yet another drink that mixes excellently with chocolate. So, you may want to pair a shot of Jägermeister with some chocolate. 

What Goes Well With Hot Chocolate?

Hot chocolate is an extremely versatile drink. It goes excellent with everything from dry cookies to fruity drinks to milky beverages and alcoholic drinks. 

You can mix it with liqueurs, spirits, wine, or herbal alcoholic beverages too. 

Is It Good To Mix Chocolate With Alcohol?

Mixing hot chocolate with alcohol is a good idea, especially if you are fighting off a cold or something like that. Spiking your hot chocolate with alcohol will not only taste good but will also help you disinfect your body and create better conditions for you to beat an infection. 

Hot chocolate is an excellent ally for sore throat. It softens dry throat making swallowing easier and less painful. Hot hot chocolate also works as an anesthetic for sore throat, as the heat will dull the pain. 

Therefore the next time you have a sore throat or have some sort of cold, have some spiked hot chocolate to alleviate the symptoms. 

Hot chocolate with alcohol is also good, even if you don’t have any problems. The chocolate is rich in antioxidants and mixed with alcohol; it has a stress-relieving effect, which are features that are always beneficial. 

In summation, you can reap the benefits of alcohol-spiked hot chocolate as long as you don’t overdo it.

We all know that consuming alcohol too often is harmful, but hot chocolate is also rich in sugar, which is could also be harmful to you if you have it too often. 

Hot Chocolate Recipe

Hot chocolate is not only for little kids but for big kids too. Spiked hot chocolate is also known as grown-up hot chocolate, and it can be extremely delicious if you give it a little more love and attention. 

This recipe features hot chocolate, cocoa powder, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, whipped cream, and Baileys. 

The quantities are not set in stone, so feel free to add as much as you want of each ingredient. However, the amounts below are a reference you can further adjust. 

Follow the recipe on the pack of your hot chocolate to make the drink. Add one teaspoon of cocoa and two tbsps. of milk, one teaspoon of sugar, and a few drops of vanilla extract.

If you don’t like vanilla extract, feel free to replace it with caramel or rum extract. Feel free to add Baileys according to your desire, but don’t start with a lot of it. Start slowly and gradually increase the amount until you get the flavor you like. 

Lastly, top the drink with whipped cream and maybe sprinkle some chocolate sprinkles for decoration. Enjoy!