Want to improve your whiskey? Don’t reach for ice, vermouth, or tincture. It’s chocolate! That’s right, whiskey is more delicious when paired with high-quality chocolate.
Utah distilleries have been producing high-quality spirits since 2007, and Ritual Chocolate in Heber, Utah, has been crafting bean-to-bar, ethically sourced chocolate since 2010.
To pair whiskey with chocolate, first pour yourself a glass of whiskey. Then, unwrap and break the chocolate bar into small bite-sized pieces, and place a piece of chocolate on your tongue, savoring the flavors as it coats your mouth. Sip the whiskey and feel the pairing magic happen. Vanillas from the barrel, combined with the cocoa bean, emphasize nuances and create new flavors.
High West ‘Cask Collection’ Straight Whiskey Sauvignon Blanc Barrel, Wanship
Ritual Chocolate ‘Bourbon Barrel Aged’ Chocolate
Blended bourbon and rye aged 6-10 years in new oak and finished 10 months in barrels previously held Sauvignon Blanc wine! The chocolate is made with a blend of cacao nibs aged in High West bourbon whiskey barrels for several months. This pairing drives barrel flavors of vanilla pod, spiced clove, and dried apple.
Salt Flats Distilling Bonneville Bourbon Whiskey, Salt Lake City
Ritual Chocolate ‘Honeycomb Toffee’ Dark Chocolate
A new Utah Bourbon with flavors of hard caramel candy, toffee, and dried apricot. The Honeycomb Toffee dark chocolate weaves together flavors of treacle, chocolate trifle, and butter cookie.
Sugar House Distillery American Single Malt Whisky, South Salt Lake
Ritual Chocolate S’Mores Bar
This whisky (no ‘e’) produces small batches of 100% malted barley aged between 3 and 5 years in new American oak casks, emphasizing the graham cracker sprinkle of the chocolate, making for the chocolate puff cereal you had as a kid.
Jim Santangelo is the owner of Wine Academy of Utah. Visit the website for a schedule of his upcoming events or to book him for a private party.