Pairing Bourbon with 18th-century American Heritage Chocolate!

Okay, so most of us have heard of serving wine with chocolate. But how many of you have ever tried chocolate with bourbon? We have, and let me tell you, it’s delicious—especially when that chocolate is from an 18th-century recipe!

Thomas Jefferson enjoyed chocolate so much, he was convinced it would become the most popular drink in America. The version we sell here in Williamsburg, American Heritage Chocolate, is made by Mars and based on a recipe from 1750—just the way Jefferson liked it! The flavor is probably a little more bitter than what you’re accustomed to but I love the hints of cinnamon and other spices that come through with each bite (or sip). We have a team of extremely talented chefs who are constantly looking for new ways to incorporate our chocolate into their Taste Studio cooking demonstrations, including our new(ish) program called “Sips with Chefs.”

Did you know George Washington distilled his own whiskey and at the time of his death, owned the biggest American distillery at his Mount Vernon home? You could say Williamsburg Inn chefs Travis Brust and Scott Watson share our founding father’s passion for spirits. On select Friday and Saturday nights, they pair different bourbons with unique dishes, both savory and sweet, to showcase some pretty intense flavor combinations. But can they accomplish the same feat using chocolate? You tell us!

AMERICAN HERITAGE CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE (BIG KIDS’ VERSION!)

This milkshake uses AHC in two ways! In your saucepan, heat up 2 oz AHC Drink Mix, 1/2 cup water, and one cup sugar in a pot to create your chocolate syrup. In the meantime, in a blender—mix three cups of your favorite vanilla ice cream, 1 1/2 cups milk, 1/2 cup ice, 2 oz Maker’s Mark Bourbon, and 6 Tbsp of your homemade ooey gooey delicious syrup. Blend well and serve in mason jars—but not before drizzling with remaining syrup. Because who doesn’t like a little extra chocolate on their chocolate? Skip the bourbon if you want to make a non-alcoholic version for the kiddos.

AMERICAN HERITAGE CHOCOLATE BOURBON BALL

Warning: this cocktail packs a punch! Mix 2 oz Woodford Reserve Bourbon, 1 oz Creme de Cacao, and 1/4 oz Disaronno. Cut an orange in half and press top of glass into the fruit; dip in AHC Drink Mix to line the rim.

SMOKED TENDERLOIN
w/PORT CHERRY-AMERICAN HERITAGE CHOCOLATE JUS

They even found a way to use American Heritage Chocolate with pork! This amazing sauce is to drizzle over your smoked tenderloin. You’ll need 1 cup Port, 1/2 cup dried cherries, 1/4 cup AHC Drink Mix, 1 Tbsp butter (whole), and 2 cups of your favorite pork sauce. Reduce the cherries with the port wine until you have a thick syrup. Add the pork sauce and then mount in the chocolate and butter. Serve immediately with a glass of Glenmorangie Single Malt Scotch Whisky, neat.

AMERICAN HERITAGE CHOCOLATE MARTINI

For this martini, you’ll create your own American Heritage Chocolate milk. Delicious! On the stove, heat 1 cup Half & Half, 1 cup whole milk, 1/4 cup sugar and 3 Tbsp AHC Drink Mix until they dissolve. Chill in refrigerator. For your martini, pour 2 oz chilled milk, 1 1/2 oz Vodka, and 1/2 ounce of Godiva Dark Chocolate Liqueur into a shaker with some ice. Shake and strain into a glass. Garnish with a chocolate-covered strawberry and raspberry.

Before you go, how about one more history lesson? Do you know the difference between whiskey and bourbon? I do, thanks to Chef Scott. Bourbon is whiskey made in the good ol’ U.S. of A—with no less than 51% corn. It must be aged in a new charred American oak barrel and it can’t be distilled higher than 160 proof or bottled less than 80 proof. Feel free to share that little bit of trivia Saturday in honor of World Whisky Day!

If you’re planning a Colonial Williamsburg Vacation this summer—remember to add one of these “Sips with Chefs” classes to your itinerary. Tell Travis and Scott you heard about the fun from the Making History Blog!