Sound Spirits in Seattle is well-known among cocktail enthusiasts in the Pacific Northwest. They were one of the pioneers of the craft distilling industry, entering the market in 2010 with their Ebb & Flow Vodka and Gin. Today, Sound Spirits has added liqueurs to their line-up. Their Depth line of liqueurs include cacao, menthe and an herbal liqueur called Vow of Silence.
There is a distinct difference between chocolate liqueurs and cacao (and creme de cacao) liqueurs. The former are typically syrupy and sweet, made with chocolate and cream, and are more like dessert in a glass. Cacao liqueurs, and their sweeter counterpart crème de cacao, are typically distilled using cacao beans. Steven Stone, founder of Sound Spirits, didn’t have to look far to source cacao beans for his Depth Cacao liqueur. Seattle-based Theo Chocolate is located just a couple of miles from Stone’s distillery.
“That’s one thing I thought would be cool to have,” says Stone. “A true distilled cacao liqueur, that wasn’t artificially flavored, but that brought through the true chocolate flavor from the raw chocolate. Especially pairing with another Seattle-based company like Theo.” Depth Cacao is less sweet, making its flavor more comparable to dark chocolate than milk chocolate. If you like things on the sweet side, Stone suggests simply adding some simple syrup.
Stone took home an award for best cocktail at last year’s Great American Distillers Festival for a bourbon-based cocktail featuring Depth Cacao. The dry sweetness of the liqueur plays well with bourbon, but also tequila and even Mezcal. And at around 66 percent ABV, it can hold it’s own in a spirit-forward cocktail. Stone’s winning recipe for the Kentucky Rifle is a 2-to-1 ratio of bourbon-to-cacao, with a dash each of habanero and orange bitters. Of the drink he says, “You get that classic combination of orange and chocolate, along with a little kick from the habanero.”
Kentucky Rifle, by Steven Stone
2 ounces bourbon
1 ounce Depth Cacao
Dash or habanero bitters
Dash of orange bitters
Dash of Averna
Combine bourbon, Depth Cacao, habanero bitters, orange bitters, and Averna together in a cocktail mixing glass filled with ice. Strain into a cocktail coupe and garnish with an orange twist.
