Oh Seduction, Thy Name is Chocolate
Published: May, 2003
As we live in an age of instant access to nearly everything, it is almost unbelievable that since the discovery of chocolate in Mexico in 1519 by Cortez more than 200 years would pass before the first chocolate processing factory would be in operation in England. You can begin to feel good just by thinking about chocolate because you know what a sense of well being it produces. No doubt in the old days this was very dangerous-- something to be guarded, kept secret, coveted, hoarded, used as currency, and spoken of in whispers. When we visited Biarritz in France near the Spanish border, we were informed that the nearby town of Bayonne was the point of smuggling chocolate from Spain into France.
Vermeer Dutch Chocolate Cream Liqueur is one of the most modern and delicious chocolate products in the marketplace today. No accident. Maurice Kanbar, who reached out into the details of natural chemical components to make his Skyy vodka a superior beverage, has done it again, but this time the subject was chocolate. His research led to discoveries of how to add the maximum flavors of real chocolate to a beverage. (For a very quick course on types of chocolate and their properties, see Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Cake Bible, pp. 422-424.)
And now, to the Chocolate Martini: three parts Vermeer Dutch Chocolate Cream Liqueur to one part Skyy vodka. Place ingredients in a cocktail shaker with a small amount of ice, shake well, pour into martini glasses. Nice touch: cocoa rimmed glasses. (You will serve much better cocktails if everything is well chilled ahead no matter what the ingredients.)
Personally, we would make a small pond of Vermeer in a shallow serving dish and top with a scoop of quality vanilla ice cream. Or, Vermeer straight up, eaten with a crisp fresh buttery croissant would be pretty fine, too.
May you live a long and chocolaty life.
Dianne Boate is a San Francisco photojournalist. Her work may be seen at www.danielakart.com. Robert Meyer is a consultant to the wine and spirits industry. They have been tasting wine together for 24 years.
