Which to use in a Brandy Alexander -- Light or Dark?
Use dark Crème de Cocoa to mix a Brandy Alexander. Using dark
crème de coaco in the drink provides a richness of color lost if substituting light crème de cacao in the
recipe.
Choosing to use light or dark Crème de Cocoa in a Brandy Alexander affects the look of the cocktail, not the
taste.
The brand of Crème de Cacoa can make a difference. In business since 1755 the Marie Brizard brand has a tradition of using natural products in its
liqueurs. It has a nice warn finish with lots of depth. Swirling the liqueur leaves an even oily coat with some
legs.
Crème refers to the texture of the liqueur. There is no actual dairy cream in making Crème de Cocoa. If a liqueur
contains cream then cream is used in the name, not “crème”. Popular examples of chocolate liqueurs with cream
include Godiva Dark Chocolate Liqueur, Cadbury Cream Liqueur or Baileys Irish Cream.
Lighter and less sweet than a chocolate liqueur Crème de Cocoa it is usually 40-50 proof, meaning an alcohol
content of 20-25%, with flavors of cocoa beans and vanilla orchid. It is available in light (clear) or dark.
The difference is simply food coloring. Some spirits have added food coloring that has no effect on taste. The
choice to use light or dark is mostly for aesthetic reasons. Other examples of liqueurs that use food coloring
include white crème de menthe (clear) and dark crème de menthe (green).
So remember, use dark Crème de Cocoa in a Brandy
Alexander recipe to give your drink a deep inviting shadeing as doing so
only affects the look of the cocktail, not the taste.
In the video below this master bartender from
New Orleans explains by substituting the base liquor you can create the Brandy Alexander, the Pink
Squirrel and the Grasshopper cocktails.
