The Romance Cocktail is all about coffee, chocolate and cream flavors. It’s sinfully rich and sweet. You could certainly describe it as a dessert drink or even a candy drink – a sort of mocha milk chocolate truffle in a glass.
This drink is all liqueurs, except for the ounce of cream, but it’s not a particularly strong drink because the liqueur proofs and the overall volume of alcohol are both low. The dominant note is mocha – chocolate with strong hints of coffee. The Irish cream adds a sweet caramel flavor, which is stronger if you use Carolan’s rather than Baileys. Tia Maria gives it more of an espresso flavor while Kahlua tastes more like bold coffee. You can choose whatever you like, since it’s impossible to mess up this cocktail.
As sweet as this drink it, it goes very well with a slice of cheesecake or pound cake with no toppings. In my opinion, it doesn’t work well alongside salty or savory foods. But it is terrific as a dessert following just about any meal.
If you like this drink, give the the Creamy Chocolate Raspberry, with Chambord, chocolate liqueur and vanilla vodka. There’s also the Chocolate Raspberry Martini (second variation), which features Tia Maria with dark creme de cacao, raspberry vodka and cream. They’re both rich, sweet cocktails, perfect for after dinner or as a dessert substitute.
Romance Cocktail Recipe
- 3/4 ounce Tia Maria
- 3/4 ounce Carolan’s Irish cream
- 3/4 ounce dark creme de cacao
- 1 ounce heavy cream
Shake the ingredients with ice and strain them into a martini glass. No garnish is required, but it looks great with speared cherries, and for Valentine’s Day, you might want to serve it with some chocolate covered cherries or truffles.
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