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Romance Cocktail Recipe

The Romance Cocktail combines Tia Maria, Irish cream, and dark creme de cacao for a sweet dessert drink that pairs beautifully with chocolate treats.

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When you want something rich, creamy and indulgent, the Romance Cocktail is perfect. This sinfully delicious drink combines the flavors of coffee, chocolate and cream.

Romance Cocktail in martini glass with speared cherries garnishPin

 

It’s a “dessert in a glass” cocktail, a luxurious treat that’s ideal for capping off a special meal or enjoying as an after-dinner nightcap. It’s especially wonderful for date nights and Valentine’s Day.

Tasting Notes

The dominant flavor in the Romance Cocktail is undoubtedly mocha, a blend of chocolate and coffee. The Tia Maria liqueur gives it a strong, espresso-like coffee note, while the dark crème de cacao contributes deep, cocoa flavors. The Irish cream has a sweet, caramel-like creaminess that rounds out the drink.

Despite its intensely rich and sweet profile, the heavy cream keeps the drink from being overpowering or syrupy-sweet. It balances the flavors and give the drink a smooth, velvety mouthfeel.

What You Need

The Romance Cocktail is a liqueur-based drink, without a base liquor. Here’s what you’ll need to make it.

Tia Maria

This coffee liqueur provides the strong coffee flavor that serves as the foundation of the drink. If you substitute Kahlua or another coffee liqueur, it will make the overall flavor profile a bit sweeter.

Irish Cream

The sweet, creamy notes of Irish cream complement the chocolate and add a luscious, indulgent quality.

Dark Crème de Cacao

This chocolate liqueur adds the cocoa flavors and lends a rich, decadent character to the cocktail.

Heavy Cream

Just a touch of cream helps to smooth out the texture and balance the intense sweetness of the liqueurs. Yes, there are vegan substitutes for heavy cream.

Serving Suggestions

The overall alcohol content of the Romance Cocktail is relatively low, which makes it easy to enjoy any time. Its sweet, velvety profile makes it a natural pairing for desserts, but it can also be enjoyed on its own as a nightcap.

For serving, the classic martini glass is a perfect choice, allowing the drink’s luxurious texture and color to be showcased. A coupe glass would also be beautiful with this drink.

As an optional garnish, you can add a few chocolate-covered cherries or truffles speared on a cocktail pick for an extra touch of indulgence. If you want to get creative, you could sprinkle chocolate shavings over the top of it or even rim the glass with cocoa powder.

Food Pairings

Try serving this one with cheesecake or pound cake – the rich mocha taste of the drink makes it like enjoying coffee with those desserts. Croissants or other buttery pastries are also a natural match.

And of course, any chocolate dessert is perfect. Try a flourless chocolate cake or rich brownies.

It’s a little harder to pair with main courses. Try a simple roasted chicken, or stuffed bell peppers with ingredients like black beans and corn.

Related Cocktails

If you’re a fan of this drink, here are a few other cocktails you might enjoy:

  • Creamy Chocolate Raspberry – This cocktail features Chambord, chocolate liqueur and vanilla vodka for a berry-infused twist on the mocha theme.
  • Chocolate Raspberry Martini – Another take on the chocolate-raspberry combination, this martini blends Tia Maria, dark crème de cacao, raspberry vodka and cream.
  • Raspberry Beret – This beautiful cocktail pairs Chambord and Bailey’s Irish cream for a raspberry-tinged, creamy delight.
Yield: 1 drink

Romance Cocktail recipe

Romance Cocktail in martini glass with speared cherries garnish

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.

Prep Time 3 minutes
Total Time 3 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3/4 ounce Tia Maria
  • 3/4 ounce Irish cream
  • 3/4 ounce dark creme de cacao
  • 1 ounce heavy cream
  • Optional speared cherries for garnish

Instructions

  1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
  2. Pour all ingredients (except any garnish you decided to include) into the container.
  3. Shake thoroughly until chilled.
  4. Strain the mixture into a martini glass.
  5. Optional garnish: speared cherries or chocolate truffles.

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Last Updated:

April 21, 2025

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