Bitters

Chocolate Bitters

Chocolate bitters put cacao at the centre of a cocktail bitters, bottled strong (The Bitter Truth’s is 44% ABV) and dashed into a drink for cocoa aroma and a dry finish. They are not crème de cacao: a dash adds next to no sugar. Our Left Hand and Right Hand each take three dashes.

Quick Facts

ABV44% ABVThe Bitter Truth’s chocolate bitters, the source of this figure, are 44%; strengths vary between makers.

Legal categorySpirit drink

OriginVarious; The Bitter Truth (Germany) and Angostura (Trinidad) both make one

Flavour Strengthmedium bold

SeasonYear-round

Our keeping timeYears once opened, capped and out of the light.

Storage

Store upright at room temperature away from direct sunlight. Ensure cap is tightly sealed to prevent evaporation.

Allergens

None of the 14 listed allergens. Recipes vary by brand: check the bottle.

The ingredient

About Chocolate Bitters

Flavour Profile

Primary Flavours

CocoaDark chocolateBitterWarm spice (subtle)

Tasting Notes

Dry cocoa bitterness with dark chocolate aroma and subtle spice. Adds depth without sweetness, lingering gently on the finish.

Cocoa aroma without the sweetness

Chocolate bitters are made like any other bitters, by steeping flavourings in strong spirit, with cacao at the centre. The Bitter Truth’s own site describes cocoa butter and dark chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, gentian and wormwood, gives 44%, and lists sugar and caramel colouring. Angostura makes a cocoa bitters too. At a dash the sugar disappears and what is left is the smell of dark chocolate with a bitter, drying finish.

Bitters, liqueur or mole: three ways to add chocolate

Chocolate bitters against the bottles they are confused with (strengths from The Bitter Truth’s site and Difford’s Guide; crème de cacao our usual figure)

Type

Chocolate bitters: Cocktail bitters
Mole bitters: Cocktail bitters
Crème de cacao: Liqueur

Strength

Chocolate bitters: About 44%
Mole bitters: About 53% (Bittermens)
Crème de cacao: About 24%

Sugar per serve

Chocolate bitters: Negligible
Mole bitters: Negligible
Crème de cacao: Plenty: it sweetens the drink

Dose

Chocolate bitters: Two or three dashes
Mole bitters: Two dashes
Crème de cacao: 15 to 30ml

Adds

Chocolate bitters: Cocoa aroma, dry finish
Mole bitters: Cacao with cinnamon and spice
Crème de cacao: Chocolate flavour and body

	Chocolate bitters	Mole bitters	Crème de cacao
Type	Cocktail bitters	Cocktail bitters	Liqueur
Strength	About 44%	About 53% (Bittermens)	About 24%
Sugar per serve	Negligible	Negligible	Plenty: it sweetens the drink
Dose	Two or three dashes	Two dashes	15 to 30ml
Adds	Cocoa aroma, dry finish	Cacao with cinnamon and spice	Chocolate flavour and body

Mole bitters are their closest relative, with more spice; crème de cacao is a different tool, a sweet liqueur measured in millilitres.

In our recipes, three dashes beside Campari

The Left Hand, a stirred bourbon drink, and the Right Hand, its aged-rum partner, each take three dashes with Campari and sweet vermouth. The cacao bridges the bitter orange and the barrel. Both recipe lines allow mole bitters in their place, for a spicier drink.

A slow-moving bottle that keeps

In our experience, with two or three dashes a drink, a bottle lasts a long time, and the spirit keeps it stable for years once opened. A cupboard is the right place for it. Cocoa is the first note to soften, so a bottle that has sat for years may call for a third dash, or replacing.

Using it

Using Chocolate Bitters

Usage

Three dashes where whiskey or rum meets Campari and vermouth, as in our Left Hand and Right Hand; two where cacao should sit in the background. Add them to the mixing glass before the ice.

Pro Tip

Chocolate bitters read stronger on the nose than on the tongue. Smell the drink before adding a third dash; if cocoa is already there, the extra dash will only add bitterness.

Top Tips

Count three dashes for cacao you can name in the glass, two for a background note.
Use them with aged spirits and bitter red aperitifs, where cocoa already has company.
Do not swap in crème de cacao by the dash; it is a sweet liqueur and needs a different recipe.
Check the label for mole style. Mole bitters add cinnamon and spice that plain chocolate bitters do not.

Possible Substitutions

Mole Bitters: Cacao with more cinnamon and spice, and stronger at 53%
Angostura Bitters: Clove and cinnamon instead of cocoa; a different drink

Production Method

Spirit flavoured with cacao and spices such as cinnamon and vanilla, with bitter herbs like gentian and wormwood; The Bitter Truth’s own site lists sugar and caramel colouring.

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

What are chocolate bitters?

Bitters made by steeping cacao, spices and bitter herbs in a high-strength spirit. At 44% ABV, The Bitter Truth’s names cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon, gentian and wormwood on its own site. A dash or two adds the smell of dark chocolate and a dry, bitter finish to a drink without making it sweet.

Are cacao bitters and cocoa bitters the same as chocolate bitters?

Yes, they are names for the same style. Angostura’s own site sells its version as cocoa bitters; other makers use chocolate or cacao on the label. Recipes and strengths differ between brands, so taste a dash in water before using an unfamiliar bottle in a drink balanced for another.

Are chocolate bitters sweet?

No. Some brands include a little sugar, but a dash is under a millilitre, so the sugar it brings is negligible. What you get is cocoa aroma and bitterness, closer to dark chocolate than milk. If a recipe needs sweetness and chocolate together, it calls for a liqueur instead.

Can I use crème de cacao instead of chocolate bitters?

Not as a straight swap. Crème de cacao is a liqueur at about 24% ABV, sweet and poured by the measure, while bitters are dashed. A few millilitres of crème de cacao add chocolate and sugar to a stirred drink, so cut the other sweetener if you try it.

Which cocktails use chocolate bitters?

Two of ours: the Left Hand, a stirred bourbon drink, and the Right Hand, its aged-rum counterpart. Each takes three dashes beside Campari and sweet vermouth. Both recipe lines also allow mole bitters.

What can I use instead of chocolate bitters?

Mole bitters are the nearest, with cacao plus more cinnamon and spice. Angostura swaps the cocoa for clove and cinnamon, which makes a decent drink but not the same one. Orange peel will not replace the cacao, though it can lift a drink that feels heavy without it.

Do chocolate bitters contain dairy or nuts?

The Bitter Truth lists no allergens for its chocolate bitters; cacao is not one of the 14. Other brands use other recipes, so read the ingredients on yours, especially for milk or nuts, before serving to someone with an allergy.

Sources.

Correct as of 16 October 2026.

The Bitter Truth, “Chocolate Bitters”.
Angostura, “Cocoa Bitters”.
Difford’s Guide, “Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters” (secondary source).

Make something

Made with Chocolate Bitters

Featured In These Cocktails

Left Hand Right Hand

Often Used With

Updated 16 October 2026

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