The Martini That Was Invented On A Movie Set By Elizabeth Taylor And Rock Hudson

Old Hollywood icons Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor, who became close friends while working on the 1955 film "Giant", shared a duo of predilections: chocolate and martinis. And, in a moment of inspiration, they decided to mix the two ingredients. A simple combination of chocolate liqueur, chocolate syrup, and vodka created by two movie stars became a celebrity in its own right: the chocolate martini. In the 1950s, vodka was all the rage, and it quickly became the spirit of choice in martinis. Thanks to its smooth, odorless, flavorless character, the neutral spirit was a natural delivery system for other flavors — like chocolate. (Today, vodka is considered far from flavorless, as producers celebrate the differences created by the base distillate and the distillation process.)

As for chocolate liqueur, it was created possibly as early as the 1600s, and today, there are multiple brands to choose from. If you want to avoid the sometimes-cloying quality of this type of liqueur, look for crème de cacao, a smooth, but less sweet style. Crème de cacao is a key component in dessert cocktails like the Brandy Alexander and the Grasshopper, so it's a natural fit for the chocolate martini. It even works to add pizzazz to a Negroni or an old-fashioned, both of which are more spirit-forward. Considering that flavored, vodka-based martini cocktails — the appletini, the cosmopolitan, or the espresso martini — wouldn't have their heyday until the 1980s and 1990s, Taylor and Hudson were clearly ahead of their time.

To upgrade your chocolate martini, just think of what works with chocolate — coffee, orange, or raspberry, for instance. With this in mind, you could add an additional liqueur to the mix. For a riff on an espresso martini, grab one of the many craft coffee liqueurs on the market today. If you love the contrast of chocolate and orange, look to Cointreau or Grand Marnier. And, if you prefer something fruity, adding a hint of raspberry liqueur will give your chocolate martini a juicy kick. 

While you're at it, think about serving your dessert cocktail with a real dessert. Similar rules, such as those to follow when adding an additional liqueur to the drink, apply here. A cocoa-based dessert like red velvet cake would make for a perfect pairing. The cocoa in the cake would balance the super-chocolatey quality of the martini, while the cream cheese would add a velvety textural element.  Likewise, bitter orange chocolate truffles, coffee cheesecake, or even a classic chocolate chip cookie would be matches worth trying; each of these flavors are complementary, never competing with your chocolate martini, but instead adding an extra layer of yumminess to a sippable sweet treat.