guinness hot chocolate
With Irish whipped cream. Hello, me beauty.
Weekend cozies with Guinness Hot Chocolate, because St. Patrick’s Day looms and a fun and spunky sip seemed right. I don’t really pay attention to the drinking holiday, only knowing it occurs because the day usually coincides with J skipping town for a friend weekend each year.
But, I do like a good time in the kitchen and providing something nice for ya’ll to throw down if you’re having a get together or just like to don your leprechaun hat and pretend you’re Irish.
This hot chocolate is quite unique, with a bold malty undertone thanks to the reduced Guinness beer melded with lots of vanilla and dark chocolate. J said it reminded him of an Irish Car Bomb – Irish whiskey and Irish Cream dropped into Guinness – and I’m okay with that comparison. This is much less dangerous from an ABV standpoint (still don’t drive after enjoying one, thanks), but the tasting notes are fairly similar.
If you’ve a snowstorm plowing through this weekend, a mug of cocoa is a perfect remedy for those lingering winter blues. Some do liken bartenders to therapists – unfair, but a trope, I guess – so be your own therapist and make a good drink at home to snuggle up with and relax your way into a better mood. But if you also need a therapist, no shame there, friends.
A Stout Drink for a Stout Heart
There’s a good chance you might have a random can of Guinness lying around. I did for probably 2 years before I finally used it for some odd idea or another. This time, I had to buy some new. Woe is me.
Pour that Guinness into a pan and boil it down until reduced by about half. You’ll end up with about 2/3-3/4 cup of liquid. The point here is to take the wheaty bite out of the beer the expose the subtler vanilla and chocolate notes.
Then, throw some milk in a pan and bring it to a steam. Not a boil or simmer, that’ll burn your milk. Good to note here that you can use whatever milk you like, though I prefer fattier varieties for the best taste: think whole milk, or canned coconut, or cashew milk.
When the milk is steamy, stir in your chopped dark chocolate, vanilla, and maple syrup (or choice sweetener) as well as that reduced Guinness. Choose a high quality dark chocolate bar, I love Chocolove or Endangered Species, with a higher cacao percentage. Let everything melt together at a gentle heat level.
I Had a Cat Named Bailey
True story. She was a Siamese mix. Little brat, but also some odd nurse-like qualities: she’d hover over you and cuddle when sick. Cute.
Not to make this a conversation about kitties, but just throwing that unnecessary personal anecdote in.
This last step is optional, but totally dope, yo. A little whipped cream infused with Baileys is such a nice add-on to this drink, so I’d recommend you give it a try. Just heavy cream, Irish cream, and powdered sugar to sweeten. Beat it until nice and fluffy.
Pour out that hot cocoa and throw gobs and gobs of whip on it, as well as a few chocolate shavings. I wouldn’t necessarily eat those lovely shamrock hydrangeas I put atop mine, but if you’re feeling a little green flare when serving, they’re a beautiful decoration. Actual shamrocks are great, too, but I couldn’t find any.
A vegan version of this is definitely possible if you use a nondairy milk, and omit the Bailey’s whip. I don’t know if a vegan Irish cream exists, or if it does if it is any good. I’ve seen recipes for homemade Irish cream, but that may not be worth the trouble. Regular whipped cream is more than lovely on top, and some shaved chocolate. Still a decadent treat.
Bottoms up! Enjoy your weekend, kids.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Hot hot, hot chocolate
Molten Tahini Coconut Hot Chocolate
guinness hot chocolate
Ingredients
- 1 can Guinness
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk (or milk of choice)
- 4 oz dark chocolate, chopped
- 2-3 tbsp maple syrup, or to taste
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- an ass load of Irish whip (recipe below) and chocolate shavings
Irish whipped cream
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1-2 tbsp Irish cream
- 1-2 tbsp powdered sugar
Instructions
- Pour the Guinness into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for 15 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by half. Pour into a heatproof glass jar.
- Add the milk to the same pan. Heat until steaming – do not boil or else you'll scald it. Turn the heat to low and stir in the chocolate, maple syrup, vanilla, and the reduced Guinness. Heat gently for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the chocolate is melted.
- To make the whipped cream, combine the heavy cream, Irish cream, and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Beat on high speed until soft peaks form, about 3-4 minutes.
- Divide the hot chocolate into mugs. Top with loads of whip and chocolate curls.
