Mexican Hot Chocolate Stout All Grain Recipe Kit
Product details
Perhaps the best hot chocolate recipe there is, Mexican hot chocolate is a pleasure to behold. Rich chocolate flavors, a creamy body, and hints of cinnamon and chile pepper are a sure match for beer. Mexican Hot Chocolate Stout hits all of these flavor notes and then some by combining this classic recipe with a moderately roasty stout base. You will find all of the flavors of decadent Mexican hot chocolate, but receive an extra flavor burst of an American-style stout. ¡Salud!
Brewing Notes:
- Style: Spice, Herb, Vegetable Beer
- Fermentation Range: 60-72°F
- Original Gravity: 1.059
- SRM: 35
- IBU: 45
- ABV: 5.2%
Tasting Notes:
- Aroma: Prominent aromas of cinnamon, chocolate with moderate roast, and medium-low pepper spice. Slight notes of dark caramel with no hop aroma.
- Appearance: Opaque jet black color with a loose tan head that dissipates rather quickly.
- Flavor: Cinnamon, chocolate, and mild pepper spice layered in with rich malty notes and hints of caramel and roast.
- Mouthfeel: Medium-full bodied with substantial creaminess and a long finish.
Looking for the Extract Version?
Additional information
| SKU | B11933 - Unmilled |
| Beer Color | Dark |
| Original Gravity | 1.059 |
| Total Time to Make | 6 weeks |
| Regional Style | USA |
| Alcohol Content | Medium |
| Yield | 5 Gallons |
| Beer Style | Fruit or Spice Beer, Stout |
| Fermentation Type | Ale |
| Beer Recipe Kit Instructions |
 Click here for recipe kit instructions |
Notes from Brad, Northern Brewer Head Brewer:
“After a recent experience sipping an authentic (and delicious!) Mexican hot chocolate, I knew right away that these flavors needed to be utilized in a beer. After a handful of test brews, I was satisfied with the results. Cinnamon, lactose, cacao nibs, and chiles de Árbol are added to what is essentially an American stout, transforming it into something much more decadent. The lactose adds a smooth creaminess, the cinnamon is apparent but not overwhelming, cacao nibs offer up a rich chocolate flavor, and the de Arbol chilies add yet another dimension with a mild heat on the finish. The base beer is a pretty standard American style stout, with a jet black color, firm bitterness, and a moderate roast quality - nothing too fancy to get in the way of the real stars of the show.
When brewing this beer, sanitation is key. The lactose and cinnamon sticks are added directly to the boil, so no issues there, but the cacao nibs and chiles are added to the fermentor as a dry hop addition would be. To ensure that the cacao nibs and chiles are sanitary before being added to the new beer, soaking them overnight in a high-proof neutral spirit (such as vodka) will not only aid in sanitation, but the alcohol will also help to draw the flavors out of the nibs and chiles. Once soaked overnight, simply add the entire mixture directly into the beer - don’t decant off the alcohol! Letting the beer rest for a week after this addition and before packaging will ensure the flavors are fully infused.”
Customer Reviews
After coming across this beer while browsing NB’s impressive selection of beer kits, I couldn’t get the thought of it out of my head - I had to try it, and I am glad I did! Originally, I thought I would buy some additional peppers that NB sells on their site since the amount for this recipe seemed like a small dose. Well, let me tell you - what is included is the perfect amount. Not over powering, but definitely there in your glass. Overall the spice is well balanced against the malt bill. The only thing I would want to change about this is the cinnamon. I brewed this exactly to the recipe - but if I do this again, I might add the cinnamon in with the pepper tincture to give it a bit more character.
I de-seeded chiles as recommended- breaking them apart to get the seeds out - and used tequila to soak the cocoa nibs and chiles - adding them in a bit earlier in fermentation than the recipe recommended so they had about three weeks in there and it came out with a nicely balanced amount of spice and chocolate. I’d probably slightly increase or alter the chocolate flavor and decrease the heat just a touch.
This recipe was awesome.
Will brew again
Well balanced stout. The sweetness of the cacao nibs and lactose pair beautifully with the cinnamon and chili. I don't think this beer is for everyone, but if you like sweet + heat, this one is a home run. I did use all the chilies but I only kept the beer in secondary for a week, instead of the recommended two. I bet longer it would have been even more intense. As is though, it was great. I gave away 6 six packs to my family for Christmas and they all loved it. I'll order it again next year.
The chili flavor was overpowering and muted any of the cinnamon flavor. If you brew this one I would recommend utilizing maybe 1/4 of the amount of chilis provided. I have brewed similar stouts before with the same amount of cocoa nibs and had a great chocolate flavor to it but again muted due to the amount of chili flavor in this recipe. Customer service was poor as I reached out several times as I noted after two weeks my package had not even shipped out, only after I messaged that I wanted to cancel my order that my order was shipped out and finally received my order 3 weeks after purchasing it!
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Customer Reviews
After coming across this beer while browsing NB’s impressive selection of beer kits, I couldn’t get the thought of it out of my head - I had to try it, and I am glad I did! Originally, I thought I would buy some additional peppers that NB sells on their site since the amount for this recipe seemed like a small dose. Well, let me tell you - what is included is the perfect amount. Not over powering, but definitely there in your glass. Overall the spice is well balanced against the malt bill. The only thing I would want to change about this is the cinnamon. I brewed this exactly to the recipe - but if I do this again, I might add the cinnamon in with the pepper tincture to give it a bit more character.
I de-seeded chiles as recommended- breaking them apart to get the seeds out - and used tequila to soak the cocoa nibs and chiles - adding them in a bit earlier in fermentation than the recipe recommended so they had about three weeks in there and it came out with a nicely balanced amount of spice and chocolate. I’d probably slightly increase or alter the chocolate flavor and decrease the heat just a touch.
This recipe was awesome.
Will brew again
Well balanced stout. The sweetness of the cacao nibs and lactose pair beautifully with the cinnamon and chili. I don't think this beer is for everyone, but if you like sweet + heat, this one is a home run. I did use all the chilies but I only kept the beer in secondary for a week, instead of the recommended two. I bet longer it would have been even more intense. As is though, it was great. I gave away 6 six packs to my family for Christmas and they all loved it. I'll order it again next year.
The chili flavor was overpowering and muted any of the cinnamon flavor. If you brew this one I would recommend utilizing maybe 1/4 of the amount of chilis provided. I have brewed similar stouts before with the same amount of cocoa nibs and had a great chocolate flavor to it but again muted due to the amount of chili flavor in this recipe. Customer service was poor as I reached out several times as I noted after two weeks my package had not even shipped out, only after I messaged that I wanted to cancel my order that my order was shipped out and finally received my order 3 weeks after purchasing it!
