Chocolate Rum Recipe

I made my first visit to Kauai this year.  On my trip, I went on a 3 hours tour of Steelgrass Farms, one of the few chocolate farms in the USA. If you ever get the chance I would highly recommend the visit, we tried almost 20 different chocolates, ate fruit right out of the pod, and were taught the process of making the yummy chocolate we all know and love.

A few days later I visited the Koloa Rum distillery and tasted a number of their quality rums. At the Steelgrass farm, a purchased a package of their brewing chocolate and a package of their roasted cacao nibs. Chocolate and rum seem like a natural combination to me, so here we go!

chocolate rum recipe

375ml 80 proof Koloa Silver Rum (Cruzan is my go to inexpensive rum)
One tablespoon of roasted cacao nibs or brewing chocolate
50ml sugar
25ml water

In an aging container, combine the rum and nib or brewing chocolate. Let sit for 30 days, filter and pour back into the aging container. In a saucepan, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. When sugar is dissolved, set aside to cool. When cool combine with the rum in the aging container stirring to combine. Let sit for a month, then bottle.

The roasted cacao nibs and the brewing each made an excellent chocolate rum. If I had to choose, the nibs made a slightly better product, but the brewing chocolate was much less expensive, and brewing chocolate makes a really tasty hot beverage. The flavor is full and a rich, picture a rummy light chocolate syrup. Easily one of the best tasting flavored spirits I have ever made.

Bourbon Vanilla Extract Recipe

750ml Bourbon the higher proof, the better
30 Madagascar Bourbon Grade B Vanilla Beans 6 to 7"

bourbon vanilla extract

My recipe is going to be different than most extract recipes in three ways, first, get yourself the best quality highest proof bourbon you can buy. You can buy barrel strength bourbon somewhere around 118 proof; I used Bull Run Barrel Strength Bourbon and Bookers would be great also. Yes, I know this will be expensive, but the higher proof will do a better job of extracting the flavor out of the vanilla. Next, you need a lot of vanilla beans. If you look an Amazon, you should be able to buy a 30 pack around $20.



Split the vanilla beans in half, lengthwise. Scrape out the insides. Put the insides and beans in a
Clean aging container and pour in bourbon so the beans are fully submerged. Put the jar in a dark cupboard and shake it weekly. My last suggestion is to let this sit for at least six months, and a year is even better. The vanilla bean insides are thick and tarry and take time for the alcohol to draw out the flavor.

This will be the brightest and most intense vanilla flavor you have ever tasted. The bourbon flavor melds perfectly with the vanilla in a way only your taste buds will understand.  Wonderful in baking, sauces, anything that could use some vanilla. Put a few drops in any brown spirit and drink it neat, you will be pleasantly surprised.

Coriander liqueur a Love Potion

The history of coriander spans several centuries and has historical ties to the Ancient Greeks, the Renaissance, and the Spanish Conquistadors. It has been used for love potions, aphrodisiacs for 1000's of years.

1 tbsp coriander seed
1 tsp cardamom seed
1 star anise flower
6 whole cloves
6 rose hips
2 cups of water, divided
1 cup honey
2 tbsp dried hibiscus flowers
3 tsp orange zest
1 cup 100 proof vodka
1/2 cup brandy

Coarsely grind coriander, cardamom, star anise, cloves and rose hips in a coffee grinder or food processor. Bring 1 cup water and honey to a boil, over medium-high heat. Boil for 2-3 minutes skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Add spice mixture and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Place hibiscus flowers in a bowl. Use a fine mesh strainer to strain syrup into bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes then strain into a clean 1-quart container. Add orange zest, vodka, and brandy. Top off with remaining water. Cover and let stand in a cool dark place for one month use a colander to strain out the orange zest. Discard. Rack or filter into final container and age for one month. Yield approximately 1 quart.|

This liqueur is even better than the recipe would suggest.  The liqueur is bright red, and the coriander is rich and spicy and warming. I am saving this for when it get colds outside.

Hornitos Plata and a Time & Oak element

Last month I reviewed a bottom shelf tequila and an element and this month I bought a bottle of Hornitos Plata, one of my favorite plata/silver tequilas, to see how an element will affect the flavor.  It's nice and clean with a fruity and spicy finish.

I have to remark that the element adds color and flavor immediately after entering the bottle.

At 12 hours the tequila already looks as dark as a reposado, and has nice oak touches.

24 hours and there is already a pronounced and smooth wood and smoke flavor component.  This already tastes like a quality reposado.

Finally at 48 hours the tequila is dark brown, sweet and peppery with a nice lasting sweet oak finish.

This may be my favorite element experiment thus far. There seemed to be no down side as far as flavor is concerned for leaving in the element for even a few weeks. The tequila ended up rich and flavorful.

Monarca Tequila & Whiskey Element

Okay here’s a note about tequila and things you can read on labels.  Monarcha tequila does not say anywhere on the bottle that it is 100% agave. By Mexican law, tequila must be at least 51% agave, and for inexpensive brands, the other 49% is typically neutral grain spirit. What is neutral grain spirit you might ask? Well, it’s typically 190 proof corn distillate, the absolute cheapest spirit you can produce on this continent. Another term that’s on this bottle is chill filtered. Chill filtering is done to remove impurities and in the most cases remove a murkiness, but in general, it’s not used for a high-quality product. However, this is a bottom shelf supercheap tequila so let’s see if a whiskey element will make it taste better.

Monarch tequila has very little fruit and agave flavor, and it has a dry finish. After 24 hours there is a good amount of oak and flavors of vanilla, much smoother.

Monarca Tequila

After 48 hours the tequila had a fair amount of color and got about is as good as it’s going to get. I left it in for several days and kept checking it and while the wood does seem to continue to transfer some flavor it is pretty much done after about 48 hours, but I don’t think you can leave it in for too long. I’m not sure I can say this tequila got way better, but it certainly improved. You don’t buy Monarcha to sip, you buy it to mix, and after the element, makes a pretty darn good margarita. Some of the bite smoothed out, and the flavors matured closer to a reposado. If you served this blind to your friends, they would surely think this tequila is at least $10 a bottle more than you paid.