The Concept
The Mochamaro is about bridging two skill sets: bar and cafe. Braulio Amaro stirred into a hot chocolate base, finished with steamed milk. If you can pour latte art, pour it here. That's the whole point. If you can't, the drink is still great. Braulio is the go-to here because the alpine herbs tie in naturally with chocolate. But this is a whole world to experiment with. Any amaro with herbal or bitter chocolate character will work. Try what you have.
Ingredients
- •1.5 oz Braulio Amaro (or any amaro you like)
- •35g store-bought hot chocolate mix (adjust to your brand)
- •6 oz steamed whole milk
Method
- 1Combine amaro and dry hot chocolate mix in a vessel and stir until fully dissolved and lump-free
- 2Strain through a fine mesh strainer
- 3Hold hot in a sous vide or double boiler if serving for a crowd (optional but good practice at the bar)
- 4Steam milk to around 140-150F with a tight, velvety microfoam
- 5Pour hot chocolate base into your cup, then pour steamed milk over it
- 6Pour latte art if you have the skill set. It's the point of the drink, but not required
On Milk Splitting
The milk split issue is real but manageable. High-proof spirits destabilize steamed milk because alcohol disrupts the protein bonds that keep milk emulsified when heated. Too much spirit relative to the sugar and fat in the mix, and you'll see the milk curdle on contact.
The good news: most store-bought hot chocolate mixes have enough sugar and milk solids built in to buffer that reaction. We've tested a handful and haven't had splitting problems at the 1.5 oz ratio. If you scale the spirit up or use a leaner mix, watch for it. The fix is either less spirit or a richer mix with more fat and sugar content.