Liquor and chocolate… you can’t go wrong!

With St Patrick’s Day rapidly approaching, I hope you’re as excited as I am about our latest Flavor of the Month, the Irish Coffee Brigadeiro. It’s creamy, it’s sweet, and simply delicious. I know you’ll love it!

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know I’m always playing with new brigadeiro combinations in the kitchen. I love the challenge of mixing flavors and trying to create something completely new!

One combination I often go back to is liquor and chocolate. It’s always a match made in heaven.

Liquor infused brigadeiros have been popular ever since brigadeiros were invented. In Brazil, you always find them at birthdays and parties. However, whenever there are young guests around, to make sure there’s no confusion between children’s treats and adult brigadeiros, we stick these cute liqueur filled pipettes into the middle of each one. Not only do they look beautiful, but you get an extra shot of that boozy flavor when you take a bite! Yum!

I’ll admit it’s really hard to find the exact type of chocolate and texture to pair perfectly with the flavors of your chosen liquor. It takes time, but when you get it right, trust me, the result is simply magical!

Here are a few of my favorite combinations:

Bailey’s Irish Cream and milk chocolate 

Bailey’s creaminess makes it the perfect rich addition to a steaming hot chocolate or a creamy brigadeiro. When paired with coffee, this little indulgent flavor is what makes our Irish Coffee Brigadeiro so irresistible.

Amarula and dark chocolate 

this delicious South African butterscotch liqueur is a little fruitier and a little less sweet than it’s Irish cousin. I personally think it’s a better fit for brigadeiros. However, as the Irish didn’t have a hand in creating Amarula, we’ll need to wait for South Africa to name a day when we can make the Amarula brigadeiro just as popular! In the meantime, there are places in Brazil that offer Amarula brigadeiros, but we’re the only ones we know of offering them (on a made-to-order basis), in the US. If you’re looking for Amarula brigadeiros, please contact us for your custom order.

Port or Sherry with milk or dark chocolate

a classic combination that works separately or together in a deliciously intense brigadeiro. The Portuguese say port wine should always be sweeter than the chocolate but I think these dessert wines are delicious with milk chocolate too! Perfect for an after dinner treat.

Red wine and dark chocolate

I always love a full-bodied Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon with a dark chocolate brigadeiro or other delicate chocolate treat. Unfortunately, it’s a bit difficult to actually use wine as an ingredient to make brigadeiros. So you’ll have to settle for sipping your wine while you enjoy your chocolate instead.

Rum or cachaça and white chocolate

because not all alcohol and chocolate combinations have to involve dark or milk chocolate… I think this light, refreshing combination is perfect for summer. The Caipirinha brigadeiro is my go-to when it’s warm and I’m craving one of Brazil’s signature cocktails. If you haven’t tried one before, it’s a must!

There you have it. Liquor and chocolate is one of those things that you really can’t get wrong. What’s your favorite?

I hope you have a chance to try one of these combinations or our delicious Irish Coffee Brigadeiro this month. If you think they look beautiful, you’ll be happy to know they taste even better!

If there are any traditional brigadeiros with a more indulgent flavor you’d like to see in the future, let me know. I’d love to hear your ideas!

Renata