Now being served: Nutty Monk

I’m going to make an admission right off the bat, I came to Nutella late in life. In fact, despite a plethora of advertising campaigns encouraging, enticing, and entreating me to try it, I never felt the need. Right up until I found a fabulous recipe for a cocktail centered around the chocolate-hazelnut spread, that is.

Count. Me. In.

The Nutty Monk is a lovely blend of chocolate, hazelnut, and coconut and is as delightful as it sounds. It tastes a bit like a cross between a Ferrero Roche and an Almond Joy, so really, how could it possibly be bad? This recipe was adapted from The Tipsy Bartender’s Nutella Cocktail.

Frangelico is a hazelnut flavored liqueur made in Canale, Italy and first sold in the 1980s. Its distinctive dark brown bottle is shaped like the robes of a Franciscan monk, complete with a cream colored rope belt.

A friend makes my vanilla vodka (dark blue bottle) for me, and I have to say, it’s better than what you can buy. If you have the time, and are so inclined, I would highly recommend looking up a recipe on the internet and attempting to make your own. Once you get all of the ingredients together, it’s merely a matter of finding a bottle with a secure stopper and putting the mix in it to infuse.

And let’s not forget the Malibu Rum. For those who are unfamiliar, Malibu is a coconut flavored rum originally produced in the Dutch West Indies since 1893. Malibu is generally thought of as an ingredient for warm weather drinks (I’m assuming because of the coconut flavoring), and even recently began a campaign marketing it as the ultimate summer alcohol. It certainly is the perfect addition to this cocktail, at any rate.

An important note: Make sure the Nutella is fully dissolved into the alcohol before introducing ice into the drink, as the ice will prevent it from completely melting.

I use a double old fashioned glass from Waterford in the pattern Jaipur created in collaboration with luxury goods designer Michael Aram.

This pattern is no longer available at Waterford, but you can find it on replacements.com Or you can get Waterford old fashioned style glasses in a different pattern here under ‘drinkware’ and ‘whiskey’. A tumbler sized glass will also work just fine, whatever you have on hand.

I like this particular cocktail better in the cooler months of fall and winter. It’s rich and creamy and oh so chocolatey and does an excellent job of warming you up!

So take a much needed and well deserved break from the hustle and bustle of the holidays with a Nutty Monk. You can also serve it as a fun anchor drink for your holiday parties. Either way, enjoy! And I hope you’re having a happy holiday season.