Chocolate for Grown-Ups

By Patrick Gary

Do you remember how much fun it was as a kid to get your favorite candy and gobble it up on a Friday night? How the sugar buzz would drive you and your friends crazy, and your parents even crazier? No matter how much of a chocoholic you are, it isn't normal for you to find that type of excitement anymore. It's just too tough to work up the energy.

But Keith Labonte, the general manager at IV (pronounced "4") Lounge in Dallas has made it one of his missions to change that. Having been in the food and beverage business since he was 14 years old, he's made it his mission to make some of the most exquisite cocktails on the planet. With most of his drinks he makes the syrups from scratch and collects the fruits fresh from the local farmer's market himself.

And while many of his regular patrons swear by the blueberry mojitos or the "Doli" pineapple infusion martinis, he is also incredibly proud of his chocolate martinis. Each ingredient hand picked and blended with the sensibility of an artist who has made drinks his art, Labonte makes both a "clear" and a "creamy" version of his chocolate martini.

He has an amazing memory for each patron's drinks and can often even remember what their friends enjoy as well. He also spent time with many of his patrons figuring out exactly what each person would like and making them something special. For baby showers he has closed down the IV bar for the party goers to have champagne and mango-cosmos, and for the chocolate lovers he has hosted parties that included a chocolate fountain in addition to his amazing chocolate 'tinis.

He makes each of his own sauces from scratch, with recipes that he carries in his head. "If you want the recipes," he'll tell you, "I have to give you a ring." However, if you're trying to follow his lead, he'll share some of his art.

He'll use Godiva for the "creamy" martini, but he seems to feel that the "clear" choco-tini is the better one. To come close to the experience you start with drizzling a really high-quality chocolate syrup in the glass. Pick the smoothest vodka you can lay hands on with a really good creme de cacao, shake until the ice changes pitch and sounds "slushy," and then pour into the glass. Add Italian cocoa onto the top of the martini and add more chocolate syrup until it's perfect.

You'll be just like a kid in summer again.

Visit http://www.ivlounge.com

Patrick Gary is a Dallas-based technical consultant, multifaceted musician, and jack of all trades who refuses to let any single realm of life or group of interests completely define or encapsulate him. He is a regular contributor to www.cocktailatlas.com and www.travellady.com.

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