CHOCOLATE LIQUEUR COCKTAILS, PART 2: The 20TH Century & Chocolate Negroni
THE 20TH CENTURY
It might sound strange: a cocktail that performs a delicate balancing act between the flavors of botanical gin, bright citrus, and brooding chocolate? But yeah, that’s what makes this one special – it’s a thinker. Created in the 1930s and inspired by the most glamorous sleeper train of the age, the 20th Century Cocktail is a sophisticated sipper with vintage allure.
And what the heck is Lillet Blanc, you query? It’s a French apéritif wine made from a blend of Bordeaux grape varieties and citrus liqueurs. It has a light, slightly sweet and floral flavor with notes of orange and a spike of gentle bitterness from quinine. It’s a popular addition to a variety of great cocktails, so grab a bottle now and live your best life.
Ingredients
1 ½ oz. Marin Coastal Gin
¾ oz. Unsinkable Chocolate Liqueur
½ oz. Lillet Blanc
¾ oz. fresh lemon juice
Method
Add the gin, chocolate liqueur, Lillet Blanc, and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker and top with lots of ice. The cold stuff.
Shake well for 15-30 seconds, until the mixture is well-chilled and your hands are begging for justice.
Strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist.
CHOCOLATE NEGRONI
This is a meaningful twist on the classic Negroni that walks a knife's edge between bitter and sweet, where chocolate meets Campari in perfect tension. Each sip reveals an interplay between the famous red apertivo’s bitter bite, gin's botanical backbone, and the subtle depth of TCHO chocolate. It’s a great option for Negroni fans in the market for something familiar yet pleasantly bewildering.
Ingredients
1 oz. Marin Coastal Gin
¾ oz. Campari
¾ oz. Punt e Mes (or a nice red sweet vermouth)
½ oz. Unsinkable Chocolate Liqueur
2 dashes chocolate bitters
Method
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass.
Fill with ice and stir for 30 seconds until well-chilled and lightly diluted.
Strain into a rocks glass over a choice boulder of fresh ice.
Garnish with a sensible wedge of orange.