The bottle
Mozart Chocolate Cream liqueur, around $30 nationally.
The back story
Looking for a sweet Valentine’s Day gift that’s not a box of chocolates? Here’s chocolate in a boozy, liquid form — and it has a classical-music twist.
The Mozart liqueur was introduced in 1979, but it really has its roots in a culture and tradition that goes back centuries. That is, the liqueur is made in Salzburg, Austria, where Mozart was born in 1756. It’s also a city that loves its chocolate. So, naturally, the two things had to be combined in some way. In fact, Mozart-themed chocolate candy has been around since the 19th Century — long before the liqueur was launched by a Salzburg distillery.
The liqueur has been under different ownerships over the years, but is now part of Marussia Beverages Group, a conglomerate that has a number of wine and spirits brands. But it is still made in Salzburg. “The composition of our chocolate liqueur is characterized by the highest quality and a love of detail,” Marussia marketing director Janny Manger told MarketWatch. She pointed to the key ingredients that go into the sip, including Belgian chocolate — “the finest” kind, she said — and a specially blended cream sourced from the Netherlands.
The other distinguishing characteristic of the liqueur? Its unique packaging in a foil-covered bottle.
Though the liqueur has been around for more than 40 years, it appears to be catching on a big way of late. Sales doubled in 2022, according to Manger.
What we think about it
Chocolate, cream and booze…what’s not to like? That’s certainly my assessment. The Mozart liqueur delivers the goods in a delish way — nothing too complicated here, but there’s a nice velvety richness to the sip. My only nit? It’s a little hard to pour out of the bottle, perhaps because of its thickness.
How to enjoy it
This is fine on its own — chilled and/or with a little ice. (The ice helps cut down on that thickness.) But the brand suggests it can be used in different cocktails, such as a chocolate martini (made with vanilla-flavored vodka). You can also enjoy different flavored versions of the liqueur — one of the newest is chocolate and coffee.
