The snow does not to be blowing in temperatures well below freezing to enjoy a hot chocolate drink. And that’s good since we’ve moved into a warming spell. Was the groundhog right that there would an early spring? Well, that still remains to be seen, or rather felt.

This week’s food feature in The Courier-Journal is the rich beverage of Winter. Each week, a group of us from the newsroom wonder up to the kitchen at The C-J to taste what food writer Ron Mikulak is preparing for future stories. Last week, among other foods, was his steaming hot chocolate.

I tried a small sample of hot chocolate prepared from a recipe from the Seelbach Hotel’s Oakroom restaurant. The recipe calls for a small amount of bourbon.

What I was expecting and what I tasted were completely different. The flavor from the bourbon was mellow and did not overwhelm the rich chocolate. I was expecting just the opposite. The proportions were perfect. The bourbon kept the chocolate drink from tasting too rich. This drink would be a good alternative to dessert.

Oakroom’s hot chocolate (with bourbon)

3 cups heavy cream

¾ cup dark chocolate (70 percent)

1 cup sugar

½ cup bourbon

1 cup milk

Salt

Combine chocolate and heavy cream, and bring to a simmer stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until melted. Add sugar and bourbon, and continue to stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Add milk and salt to taste. Serve in mug. May be topped with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.

Serves 4.

Check out the other hot chocolate recipes along with a little history of the drink HERE. And you can read Ron Mikulak’s blog on The politics of chocolate.

Remember, enjoy responsibly.