12 Chocolate Liqueurs, Ranked

Liqueurs differ from liquors in that they are more flavorful and lower in alcohol content (via Coole Swan). Furthermore, liqueurs tend to be used to embellish a beverage, while liquors provide their substance. A notion explained by bar manager Jack McGarry: "Liqueurs are modifiers, adding context and nuance to a mixed drink. I've always thought of spirits as a textured, nuanced canvas, with liqueurs accentuating and contributing to said canvas" (via Food & Wine).

Much like chocolate itself, chocolate liqueurs can be broken down into three main categories: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and white chocolate. The type of base spirit and cream used will also heavily influence the drink, according to Master of Malt. Most chocolate liqueurs are a great addition to cocktails, regardless of their ingredients. That being said, they can just as easily be sipped over ice, with both making for an indulgent treat.

When compiling this guide, we have considered how consumers enjoy their liqueur varies. As such, this non-exhaustive guide highlights some of the most popular and versatile chocolate liqueurs on the market — options that, for the most part, are just as effective in a cocktail as they are when enjoyed straight.

Mint chocolate is a divisive flavor, one of the main reasons why Hotel Chocolat's mint chocolate Velvetised cream comes in at twelfth on our list. Polls from Australia (via Taste) to Israel (per The Times of Israel) have confirmed the contentious nature of mint chocolate-flavored products. However, the pairing has proved popular enough for Hotel Chocolat, one of Britain's foremost boutique chocolatiers, to dedicate its time and money to developing this notable liqueur. A fact that will make mint chocolate lovers rejoice.

This mint chocolate liqueur is thick, rich, and luxurious and is made with a vodka base and 70% dark chocolate (via Hotel Chocolat). Furthermore, the low alcoholic content of 12% ABV ensures the drink is not too sharp, making it perfectly suitable for sipping on the rocks. The liqueur is also well suited to cocktail making, as highlighted by Hotel Chocolat's partnership with All Bar One. The collaboration resulted in the creation of drinks such as Midnight Tiramisu and Chocolat Martini (via Confectionery Production), revealing the versatility of this excellent liqueur.

Already a festive stalwart thanks to its famous range of Irish cream liqueurs, Baileys has branched into the realm of chocolate-flavored varieties with its chocolat luxe. This liqueur did not come easy; FoodBev Media reports that it took over 800 attempts to get the recipe just right. But all this trial and error was worth it; Baileys has created an incredibly indulgent drink with a high-fat content ensuring a very luscious and smooth drinking experience (via Baileys).

By using a base spirit of Irish whiskey, Baileys chocolat luxe instantly imparts a warming sensation upon entering the mouth, as opposed to the sharper taste experienced when consuming clear spirit-based chocolate liqueurs, as per ScienceLine. The only potential downside of choosing a dark spirit-based liquor is that the extra congeners present in the liquid are thought to contribute to a worse hangover the next day (via Livestrong). However, it's a risk that you will be all too willing to take after you experience your first taste of Baileys chocolat luxe.

According to Difford's Guide, in contrast to other chocolate liqueurs that derive some of their flavors from oils and flavorings, Tempus Fugit Spirits' crème de cacao a la vanille uses raw cacao from Venezuela that is macerated alongside whole vanilla beans from Mexico. This more traditional technique results in a liqueur with a distinctly deep and complex taste: one which ranges from the heavy, slightly bitter taste of cacao to a distinct sweetness with every mouthful (via Tempus Fugit Spirits).

While this flavor profile makes Tempus Fugit Spirits' chocolate liqueur stand out dramatically from other products on the market, it can make it a challenging beverage to sip straight, not least because of its viscosity (per Wine Enthusiast). However, the quality of the liqueur is not up for debate, with Wine Enthusiast scoring it 95 out of 100 and awarding it a place on their annual top 100 spirits list. It being ill-suited to being served straight is the only reason this liqueur did not rank higher on our list.

BBC reports that Belgium has been known as the world's capital of chocolate for over 100 years. This is not due to the volume of chocolate produced by the country; countries such as the United States are home to companies that far surpass their Belgian counterparts in terms of pure production (via ICCO). Rather, Belgium is famous because of the quality of the chocolate products produced within its borders. Godiva's chocolate liqueur is another example of this excellence.

A luxury brand initially known for its pralines, Godiva has taken its expertise in a different direction, producing a liqueur inspired by its own chocolate truffles. According to VIP Bottles, the liquid is gentle and heavily flavored with creamy chocolate. This makes it an ideal liqueur for drinking or even pouring over desserts. While not as punchy and complex as Tempus Fugit Spirits' crème de cacao a la vanille, Godiva's milk chocolate variety is a more versatile product and, as such, just pips it in our ranking.

Unlike many companies on this list, Coole Swan is not a chocolatier nor a large-scale drinks manufacturer. Instead, it is a small, independent company focusing on making one product — its superior Irish cream liqueur. This singular dedication has paid dividends: The liqueur has won multiple awards, including a Double Gold medal and Best of Show Liqueur award at the 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, making it the first cream-based liqueur to have done so (via The Moodie Davitt Report).

As per Tesco, the drink's unique flavor comes via a unique blend of single-malt Irish whiskey, Irish cream, and the all-important white chocolate. This mixture of ingredients was a difficult one to balance; the team at Coole Swan tried over 200 different combinations before settling on the final recipe — a fact undoubtedly due to the difficulty in balancing white chocolate, which can be sickly sweet. However, the brand has rounded out the chocolate's flavor beautifully, creating a seamless blend between it and the warming, spicy whisky, making this a truly unique liqueur.

As a family with four centuries of industry experience, the people behind Bottega are no novices when it comes to making high-quality, delicious, and unique beverages. Initially a distiller and now a winery, the brand produces a range of alcoholic drinks, including wines, grappa, and vermouth. When it comes to liqueur, Bottega has several offerings, the most notable of which is the gianduia liqueur, a product that uses the famous chocolate blend of the same name.

Gianduia is made with chocolate and 30% hazelnut paste. The nuts were introduced in response to the economic turmoil in the 19th century when cocoa became incredibly expensive. It has since become a staple in various regions throughout Italy, as per Eataly. The presence of gianduia inside Bottega's liqueur gives it a distinct nuttiness not evident within other chocolate liqueurs. A small amount of Bottega's own grappa is also added to the final product, adding a surprising amount of potent flavor. Consequently, you will be hard-pressed to find another chocolate liqueur with as interesting and complex a flavor profile as this.

Both cocoa and chocolate production has been mired in cases of slavery, child labor (via The No Project), and environmental degradation (per World Wildlife Fund). As products that include chocolate, the liqueurs on this list must grapple with these issues as much as any regular chocolate producer. One company doing more than most to address these issues in the chocolate supply chain is Fair. This spirits company focuses on producing products that support farmers and the environment they work in.

Fair's cacao liqueur reflects this by being made from Fairtrade ingredients, including cacao nibs from Peru and liquid sugar (via Amathus). This mixture is blended with a vodka base and demineralized water, resulting in a finished product that tastes incredibly clean. The result is a drink that flirts with sweetness while ending with a powerful chocolatey, bitter aftertaste. The lack of prominent sweetness means that Fair's cacao liqueur might not be for everyone. Still, its nuanced, punchy flavor and sustainable nature make it a fantastic choice for those who adore the darker, more complex flavors of chocolate.

There are quite a few ways that Bouvery CV chocolate liqueur sets itself apart from other competitors in the field — ways that can all be roughly grouped under one heading: artisanal processes. As a small batch product, every care is taken with the drink, starting with the four times distilled, gluten-free corn vodka used as a base spirit (per Master of Malt). This interesting and more time-consuming choice not only makes the liqueur suitable for gluten-intolerant audiences but also lends a subtle sweetness to the liqueur's overall flavor profile (via Liquor.com). Care is also taken to source other ingredients of high quality, with the cocoa a blend of Fairtrade products from Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Ecuador.

The artisan nature and extremely high quality of Bouvery CV's liqueur make it stand out when sipped straight or added to cocktails or desserts. The years of research and refinement are evidenced through its perfectly executed flavor and mouthfeel. In short, this is one of the best chocolate liqueurs in the country.

Bernard Loiseau was a highly esteemed Michelin star chef that rose to prominence thanks to an approach labeled "cuisine of essences" (via The Guardian). As The Guardian reports, this method sought to protect and emphasize the individual flavor present within every dish. Loiseau was also a renowned perfectionist who agonized over every meal, room, and beverage available at his most famous establishment, the three Michelin-starred restaurant and hotel, La Côte d'Or.

The Bernard Loiseau creme de griottes chocolat is a chocolate liqueur produced by Gabriel Boudier, a famous liqueur and spirit producer. This spirit was designed specifically for use in La Côte d'Or in conjunction with the Bernard Loiseau Group (via Wines Direct). The same exacting standards and attention to detail have been invested in this liqueur as with all things served at La Côte d'Or. As such, you can rest assured that it is a drink of the utmost quality, while the blend of morello cherry and chocolate makes for an instantly classic pairing — one which would superbly round out just about any meal.

Another gianduia chocolate liqueur, Bicerin's originale di giandujotto blends the familiar flavors of chocolate and hazelnut with a reverence for tradition rarely seen in the liqueur industry. By staying true to an early 19th-century recipe, Bicerin has created a drink that has become an integral part of Turin's cultural landscape. Popular for over 200 years, the liqueur is evidently enjoyable: a fact attributable to its relatively low alcoholic content and concentrated flavors (via Nationwide Liquor).

Despite its age, Bicerin originale di giandujotto continues to impress judges — as is attested to by its 2021 showing at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge, where the liqueur was awarded a score of 92 out of 100. Even more impressive is that the brand manages to achieve this incredible flavor and texture without using dairy, making the drink both gluten-free and vegan-friendly. For those looking for an authentic way to enjoy this liqueur, serve it in a small glass by itself. However, for the more adventurous, it can be added to other liquids to make cocktails or even boozy coffees.

Launched by Mhairi Voelsgen and Erin Brophy in 2011, BroVo Spirits focuses on making light, flavorful liqueurs that are equally suited to being sipped straight as they are with adding some panache to cocktails (via Seattle). The chocolate variety achieves this while breaking away from the company's previous reliance on ingredients local to Washington state. Instead, it gets its flavor from around the globe, namely cacao nibs from Guatemala.

As Hotel Chocolat reports, cacao nibs are pieces of crushed cacao that are usually turned into chocolate. Due to their unique flavor, their inclusion in the liqueur-making process results in an end product that is not overly sweet but rather nuanced and fruity, with hints of roasted chocolate. To complement this flavor, the product also features vanilla bean and ancho chile, which is then rounded out by the slight sweetness of the base liquor, corn vodka (per BroVo Spirits). The result is a liqueur that is intricate, mature, and infinitely drinkable when served in all forms.

Named liqueur producer of the year 2020 by International Wine and Spirit Competition, Mozart is one of the best in the business, and the Austrian distillery's flagship product is, without a doubt, Mozart chocolate cream liqueur. It is built upon a distillate from sugar cane; this would suggest that instead of whiskey or vodka, the base alcohol resembles something closer to rum or Brazilian cachaça. This sweet flavor impacts the final liqueur immensely and provides a solid foundation for other flavorings, like Belgian chocolate and vanilla, to sing (per Mozart).

Classic flavors and a refined execution mean Mozart's chocolate cream liqueur is the perfect drink to cap off an evening with. However, it is the beverage's ability to shine in cocktails that have elevated it to the top of our guide, as Emanuele Balestra, bars director of the five-star Hôtel Barrière in Cannes, explains: "For a simple Chocolate Martini, we use a premium vodka such as Absolut Elyx or Grey Goose, Mozart Chocolate Liqueur and a chocolate cream made in-house by our Pastry Chef to sweeten." (via Forbes). If Mozart chocolate liqueur is good enough to play a part in cocktails at one of the best hotels in the south of France, it's good enough for us.