What alcohols would be good to infuse chocolate essence into?

[cteavin]

Hi,

I've used my Isi whip cream dispenser to infuse vodka with chocolate essence by adding nibs and two charges of CO2. I can't get a good chocolate liquor in Japan, so I thought I'd infuse. Does anyone have a suggestion on spirits which would go with chocolate and perhaps a liqueur?

Also, does anyone know if the oils in the nibs will diffuse in a fat like cream or milk, or plain water?

[cteavin]

Actually, that should read NO2, Nitrous Oxide.

[Rafa]

Rum. Works exceptionally well in this spirit.

[lesliec]

I suspect orange liqueurs - Cointreau, Grand Marnier - would work.

[Edward J]

Cocoa nibs contain cocoa butter, not oils, and cocoa butter itself doesn't have much flavour. The flavour comes from the solids, but I really have no idea if it is alcohol soluable or not. That being said, everyone knows that hot cocoa is just hot water and cocoa powder (finely ground cocoa nibs with 88%-95% of the cocoa butter removed) and it has chocolate flavour.

Sounds like a fun project though.

[cteavin]

Cocoa nibs contain cocoa butter, not oils, and cocoa butter itself doesn't have much flavour. The flavour comes from the solids, but I really have no idea if it is alcohol soluable or not. That being said, everyone knows that hot cocoa is just hot water and cocoa powder (finely ground cocoa nibs with 88%-95% of the cocoa butter removed) and it has chocolate flavour.

Sounds like a fun project though.

Thanks.

I took my ISI out the other week and have been playing with it -- a lot. I just carbonated grapes in cognac and water.

I really want to make white chocolate ganache, but the cocoa liquor here a poor quality. Using vodka might give the end product more kick than I want. The other option is charging it with the cream, but in my experience the cream takes on the cocoa colour. With vodka the particles settle.