Cocktails with Cocoa bitters
Cocoa bitters are concentrated aromatic bitters flavored with cacao, dashed into drinks to season them — essentially the same thing as chocolate bitters.
ABV43%That is high in the bottle, but negligible in the drink, since bitters are used only in dashes.
How it's used
A dash or two adds a roasted chocolate note and a bitter edge, with no sweetness. It suits aged and agave spirits, sweet vermouth and coffee.
Substitutes for Cocoa bitters
Any chocolate bitters
Any brand will do, dash for dash. Only the spice behind the cocoa changes.
Mole bitters
It adds the spicy warmth of cinnamon along with the cocoa. Use dash for dash.
White crème de cacao
Without bitters, a barspoon of the liqueur gives the chocolate note along with a little sugar.
Fee Brothers glycerin-based bitters
It carries very little alcohol. Use dash for dash.
Storage
Cocoa solids do not fully dissolve, so this bottle settles. Roll it gently before dashing rather than shaking it, which aerates the extract and makes the dasher spit. Otherwise it is stable and keeps for years.
