Food

I Like Spike

The Best Spiked Hot Chocolates in Town

**ATTENTION** <o:p></o:p>This is a serious weather bulletin. Due to continuing arctic conditions in the Chicago area, the National Weather Service has upgraded its hot chocolate forecast from “chance of marshmallows” to “liberally spiked.” Please consult the following warming stations for further instructions...<o:p></o:p>

MINDY’S HOT CHOCOLATE

Hot Chocolate Served in a Snifter

Just add: cognac.
And you get: to swirl a big snifter of whatever hot chocolate flavor suits your needs—they have eight kinds on the current menu. Try it with a Black & Tan, which is usually one-third hot fudge, two-thirds medium chocolate... but in this case, they’ll make some room for the booze.

LULA CAFE

Fernet Is Now Officially in Everything

Just add: Fernet-Branca.
And you get: probably the best use of the Italian bitter you’ve seen all season—and you’ve seen a lot of fernet. It’s the final punch for a drink that includes Mast Brothers hot chocolate, Sicilian liqueur, milk and cayenne pepper. And it’s way better than a marshmallow.

CHUCK’S: A KERRY SIMON KITCHEN

A Chocolate-Covered Banana... with Vodka

Just add: banana-flavored vodka.
And you get: something like a frozen chocolate-covered banana that’s been melted down and enhanced by a team of Russian vodka scientists. It has a banana chip and a cherry on top. Think of it as the cherry’s cherry.

PRASINO

Mexican Hot Chocolate... with a Kick

Just add: mezcal and ancho chili.
And you get: the drink that took home the top prize at the World of Chocolate competition this year. It’s a spicy mix of dark chocolate, cinnamon, ancho chili and a dash of mezcal. Basically, if the Swiss Miss girl had a Mexican cousin, she’d be yodeling about this.

LA MADIA

Chocolate Bourbon in a Pizza Place

Just add: bourbon.
And you get: to drink hot chocolate by the warmth of a 700-degree pizza oven. And in this weather, that might not be enough to warm you, so the hot chocolate is also spiked with Four Roses single-barrel bourbon. That should bring feeling back to your toes.