My favorite coffee shop’s seasonal lattes are available, but sometimes I need the boozy, more adult version – so I’m mixing up a boozy peppermint mocha latte for you today. Although I love these lattes warm, they are fabulous chilled as well. And while I don’t have an espresso machine at home, I used cold brew espresso or strong coffee to get a fantastic result. Today’s post, sponsored by Ballotin Whiskey, features their tasty Chocolate Mint Whiskey. It’s a boozy version of the taste of an Andes mint, so perfect for this use.
(Post may contain affiliate links.)
What’s in a Peppermint Mocha Latte?
The coffee shop version of a peppermint mocha latte features espresso, steamed milk, chocolate, and peppermint syrup. For our version, though, we’re getting much of the chocolate and mint from Ballotin’s Chocolate Mint Whiskey. I much prefer this whiskey to going with crème de cacao and crème de menthe. That combination makes the chocolate too dark and the mint far too minty.
I added a bit of chocolate syrup to mine because I wanted to make sure there was a great mocha-flavored base. And if you taste it and it needs a little kick of peppermint, add a drop of peppermint extract (or infuse the whipped cream with it).
I used a small latte whisk to whip up the steamed milk for a lovely head of foam, so you can have the latte without topping it with a dollop of whipped cream, but where’s the fun in that?
When I make a hot coffee drink, I like to combine the coffee, alcohol and syrup together in the mug and heat them in the microwave. This does two things: 1) it heats up the alcohol and the syrup just enough that they don’t cool down the drink too much, and 2) it heats up the mug so the cocktail stays warm while you sip it.
I’ll note that when I have these at a coffee shop I can’t always taste much of the coffee/espresso flavor, so I put a little extra coffee/espresso in mine to make sure there was a little bite of coffee in it.
How to Garnish the Boozy Peppermint Mocha Latte
If I’m going to the trouble to make a latte at home, I always want to froth the hot milk with this tool that is my right hand in the kitchen – a small, hand-held kitchen whisk. In this case, I even whipped up the cream myself as I wanted to control how rich and sweet it was. However, use canned whipped cream if you like. It melts faster than homemade whipped cream, but it’s all going to be sipped and combined with the latte anyway.
There are lots of options garnishing this one. You could use small mini chocolate chips and candy cane pieces. Or you could go with chocolate shavings or cocoa powder. You could even put a drop of two of pepper mint extract in the cream before you whipped it for that lovely peppermint flavor to waft up to you when you bring it to your lips.
But for the sake of ease, I just crushed some candy canes and sprinkled them on top.
One note: if you like your steamed milk frothed, make sure to leave room at the top of the cup for the whipped cream you’ll add. If not, you’ll have an overflow issue. The heavier cream will press down on the foam, and the foam will poke up about the edges. As the cream melts from the heat of the froth and coffee, you’ll have tiny streamers of latte dripping down the edge of the glass.
About Ballotin Whiskey
Ballotin Whiskey got its start in Louisville working with the industry giant Flavorman to create a line of flavored whiskies. Of course, being from Louisville, there’s a plethora of Brown-Forman experience with co-owner Paul Tuell to create a flavored whiskey that’s approachable to whiskey newbies and interesting for bourbon enthusiasts alike. By carefully choosing the sourced whiskey at its base, the Ballotin line aims to keep a whiskey flavor while building on those flavors with additions like chocolate, bourbon ball and mint.
The flavored whiskies they produce work wonders in cocktails to add whiskey and sweet flavors together. In fact, they’re so good, you could just drink them over ice as a cocktail themselves. Ballotin makes a full line of flavors, including Caramel Turtle, Bourbon Ball, Chocolate Mint, Peanut Butter Chocolate, Chocolate Cherry Cream and Chocolate Mocha Cream.
Other Boozy Coffee Drinks
Recommended Bar Tools
You don’t need every slick, beautiful bar tool out there, but there are several I’ll recommend. (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. However, that does not affect the cost of the items below.) My favorite pieces usually come from the Cocktail Kingdom section of Amazon:
You may already have these bar essentials, but just in case:
Boozy Peppermint Mocha Latte
Ingredients
- 2 oz Ballotin Chocolate Mint Whiskey
- 4 oz steamed milk
- 3 oz strong coffee or espresso
- ½ oz chocolate syrup
- Optional: 1-2 drops peppermint extract
- Topping: Whipped cream crushed candy cane pieces, candy cane
Instructions
- In a heat-proof mug, combine Ballotin Chocolate Mint Whiskey, coffee or espresso chocolate syrup and optional mint extract. Heat it briefly in the microwave. Add steamed milk and stir again. Top with whipped cream and crushed candy cane pieces.