Flavor Camp
Flavor Camp

Kakao

January 18, 2026

Cocktails Modern Whisky
2 min reading time
Kakao, created by Jessica Toews, is a sleek, flavour-driven whisky cocktail that proves restraint can be just as powerful as intensity. Built on Rupert’s Whisky, it layers dark richness with savoury precision, landing somewhere between an after-dinner sipper and a bartender’s secret weapon.
A measured pour of chocolate liqueur adds deep cocoa sweetness, while Oloroso sherry brings nutty, oxidative complexity that makes the whole drink feel elevated and mature. A few drops of saline solution sharpen the flavours and pull everything into focus, while black pepper bitters add a subtle dry heat that keeps the finish long and intriguing.
Finished with a piece of salted dark chocolate, Kakao is decadent, structured, and unapologetically elegant.
Fun fact: This cocktail is the winning recipe of Flavor Camp’s Canadian Whisky Cocktail Challenge (January 2026).

Recipe: Jessica Toews (Vancouver, BC)
Photo: Reece Sims

Cocktail Flavor Camps

The inspiration behind this cocktail as explained by creator Jessica Toews, “over ten years ago, I did a chocolate tasting at a small bean-to-bar shop, and I tried this salt and pepper dark chocolate and it was an epiphany in a single bite. Since then the shop has unfortunately closed, but I’ve been chasing that flavour ever since and this is my attempt to recreate that experience in cocktail form.“
Kakao
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Kakao

Recipe by Jessica Toews (Vancouver, BC)Difficulty: Easy

Flavor Camps: Rich, Bitter, Sweet, Boozy

Ingredients

  • 1.5 oz Rupert’s Exceptional Canadian Whisky

  • ⅓ oz Chocolate Liqueur

  • ⅓ oz Oloroso Sherry (i.e. Nutty Solera)

  • 6 drops Saline Solution (5:1)

  • 6 drops Black Pepper Bitters

  • Garnish: A piece of salted dark chocolate

Directions

  • Add all ingredients to a cocktail mixing glass with ice.
  • Stir to chill and dilute.
  • Strain over a king cube in a rocks glass & garnish.

Notes

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