Beverage

  
The idea of a sweet digestif to round out a meal has gone into overdrive. Bartenders and chefs are teaming up to create after-dinner drinks more decadent than many selections traditionally featured on dessert menus. Whether driven by budget-conscious consumers trying to combine dessert and an after-dinner drink into one indulgence or by calorie-conscious diners believing that it’s better to drink than eat their cake, the trend is taking the sweet cocktail well beyond a simple glass of Bailey’s.

Gourmet syrups and specialty liqueurs can save time and make dessert drinks highly profitable, and sugar-free syrups are also available for lower-calorie or low-sugar dessert cocktails. Imaginative syrup flavors make it easy to serve up dessert martinis like these created by Monin.

Blueberry Pie-Tini
(Recipe & photo by Monin)

Ingredients:
1 oz. Monin Blueberry Syrup


1 1/2 oz. vodka

2 oz. half & half

Ice
Instructions:
Combine ingredients in shaker in the order listed. Cap and shake vigorously. Strain into chilled serving glass. Garnish.

Ingredients:
1 oz. Monin Pumpkin Pie or Pumpkin Spice Syrup

1 oz. dark rum

1/2 oz. Irish cream liqueur

2 oz. half & half
Ice
Instructions:
Combine ingredients in shaker in the order listed. Cap and shake vigorously. Strain into chilled serving glass. Garnish.

It takes only a few extra steps to create drinks that look and sound like traditional desserts. Consider the Chocolate Elephant and the Bushwacker, also by Monin.

Ingredients:
1/2 oz. Monin Dark Chocolate Sauce
1/2 oz. Monin Spicy Chocolate Syrup
1 oz. espresso
2 oz. cream liqueur
2 oz. chocolate ice cream
Ice

Instructions:
Combine first five ingredients in blender. Fill serving glass with ice and pour into blender. Blend until smooth. Pour blended beverage into serving glass. Garnish. 

Ingredients:
1/2 oz. Monin Dark Chocolate Sauce

1/2 oz. Monin True Brewed Espresso Concentrate
2 oz. pina colada mix

2 oz. vanilla ice cream

1 oz. dark rum

Instructions:
Combine dark rum, Monin Dark Chocolate Sauce, Monin True Brewed Espresso, pina colada mix, and vanilla ice cream in blender. Add ice and blend until smooth. Pour into beverage glass. Top with whipped cream. Garnish with a wedge of pineapple and a cherry. To make a blended drink look even more like dessert, add a cookie, a sliver of cake, or chocolate shavings.

See our recipe blog for standbys as well as more of the latest trends.  

Want to read more about drinkable desserts? Read more about the boozy milkshakes trend.

Also, if you have a fun or interesting drink recipe, please submit it here. The best stories and recipes will be published on our blog and distributed to the HBC Community, nationally and potentially internationally. Further, we will reference your name and establishment for bringing it to our attention. A little publicity can always help to grow your business and awareness.