
Something new is brewing lately in Kansas City. Actually make that — something very old is distilling again lately in Kansas City, for the first time since Prohibition. And I must say, everyone I know in town is pretty “high-spirited” about it. Oh yes.
Kansas City whiskey is back!!!
And let me be the first to give you a heads up — you’re going to want to check it out. After years in the making (after far too many years not in the making), the first bottles of J. Rieger & Co Kansas City whiskey were finally released in bars and stores this past fall. And they has been flying off the shelves at record pace ever since. Why?!
- It’s “O-So Good”. Back in the day when J.Rieger & Co whiskey was one of the best-selling spirits in the country, this is what the labels on their bottles claimed. And I couldn’t agree more. Why? Well….
- It’s made with a special ingredient. Sherry! I never knew this, but apparently back in the 1800s before Prohibition, it was customary to blend a small amount of Spanish sherry into whiskey. And after tasting it, I understand why. It balances out the whiskey perfectly, smooths out any harshness, and adds a subtle hint of sweetness that is positively yummy. Since this was the style for making Kansas City whiskey back in the day, it has now becoming a legal thing that any sherry-blended whiskey will be classified as “Kansas City Whiskey”. Pretty cool.
- It’s made in my neighborhood. Well technically, the East Bottoms neighborhood that’s next door to my neighborhood in downtown Kansas City that’s newly being revitalized, but I’ll claim it as my own. You know how much I love neighbors!
- The story behind it is the best. I’d heard bits and pieces about how the owner of my favorite speakeasy stumbled upon the history behind this brand. But it wasn’t until he and his business partner (great-great-great-somthing-grandson of the original J. Rieger) were featured alongside me in the ShowMeKC series that I understood more of the context. And then when some friends and I popped over to the distillery last month for a tour, we were blown away by all of the cool (and incredibly serendipitous) details that explained so much more about the booming whiskey business in Kansas City in the 1800s, the far-reaching consequences of Prohibition, and what it looks like to revive a century-old brand and start a whiskey distillery nowadays. You can watch a short little 5-minute ShowMeKC clip about them here. But I’m telling you, if you’re ever in Kansas City, you must go on the tour. It’s the most fascinating history lesson ever!!
Anyway, this is totally not a sponsored post. Just the whiskey-loving, downtown-living, small-business-supporting, Kansas City food blogger shouting from the rooftops that I am very excited about this…because I have a blog, and I can. ;)
Also exciting? This recipe for 5-Ingredient Whiskey Chocolate Truffles. I made a few million of these truffles back in March for the screening of my ShowMeKC clip, which I have been tweaking and making and remaking ever since. After many requests from friends for the recipe, I’m finally getting around to sharing it with you today!
Whiskey Dark Chocolate Truffles Recipe | 1-Minute Video

Oh man. When I found out that 50+ people were going to be attending this screening and that I was in charge of providing any treats, I panicked slightly for a hot minute. I may be a food blogger, but I have said a hundred times that I am not a caterer. Cooking for very large groups of people gives me mega anxiety, and after trying it a few times in the past, I quickly decided that I am much more of a “small batch” type of cook.
However.
I figured that with so many kind friends showing up to attend a mini-documentary screening about a food blog, I had probably better serve at least something from the blog. So I made a half dozen big batches of my Slow Cooker Chex Mix (which was surprisingly one of the top recipes of 2014). And then to balance out the savory, I decided to try mixing some Kansas City whiskey into a batch of dark chocolate truffles.
And I’m pretty sure the truffles stole the show.

The great news was that — per my style (mwahaha) — they were actually incredibly easy to make behind the scenes. All you need are 5 easy ingredients (well, 6 ingredients, if you want to roll the truffles in something like cocoa powder or sprinkles or nuts), a few minutes to mix them up…

…a few hours to let them chill…
…and then a few more minutes to roll them into balls. (I used a cookie scoop to make this part go faster.)

Then voila!! In a short amount of time, I literally made hundreds of these truffles to serve that evening.
They were decadent, they were rich, they were sweet-but-not-too-sweet, and the sea salt was a must. But without a doubt, the number one comment was how much everyone loved the surprise kick of whiskey at the end. You’re of course free to use whatever kind of whiskey you love. But whenever I make these, I’m pretty sure that they will be KC Whiskey Dark Chocolate Truffles from now on. ;)

Anyway, big cheers to local distilleries and breweries for doing such cool things across the country right now. I raise my glass (and my chocolate truffle) to all of you!
5-Ingredient Whiskey Dark Chocolate Truffles
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 0 About 3 dozen truffles 1x
Description
These 5-Ingredient Whiskey Dark Chocolate Truffles are
Ingredients
- 1 pound dark chocolate, finely chopped (or chocolate chips)
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup whiskey
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- optional: unsweetened cocoa powder or sprinkles for rolling
Instructions
To Make In The Microwave:
- Add chocolate, heavy cream and butter to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in whiskey and sea salt, and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate the mixture for 2-3 hours, or until completely chilled.
- Remove from the refrigerator, and use a small cookie scoop (or a mellon baller or spoon) to shape the truffles into your desired size and shape, rolling between your hands quickly to smooth out the edges into a ball if needed. Roll each ball in a bowl of cocoa powder or sprinkles if desired. Then transfer to a serving place or storage container, and repeat with the remaining truffles.
- Enjoy immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 1 week. (These truffles are best served chilled, so that they hold their shape better.)
To Make On The StoveTop:
- Add chocolate, heavy cream and butter to a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in whiskey and sea salt, and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate the mixture for 2-3 hours, or until completely chilled.
- Remove from the refrigerator, and use a small cookie scoop (or a mellon baller or spoon) to shape the truffles into your desired size and shape, rolling between your hands quickly to smooth out the edges into a ball if needed. Roll each ball in a bowl of cocoa powder or sprinkles if desired. Then transfer to a serving place or storage container, and repeat with the remaining truffles.
- Enjoy immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 1 week. (These truffles are best served chilled, so that they hold their shape better.)





Love the idea! Gonna make them for Xmas!
Can these be frozen for longer storage? (Sorry if this has been asked already)
Hi Haillie! Yes, you can definitely freeze these. We hope you enjoy!
Could you use other types of liqueur in these? Rum, baileys, etc?
Yes, totally! We say use whichever one you want to try! :)
Could you use semisweet instead of dark chocolate?
Yes, completely! We’d recommend bittersweet, but semisweet will work just fine — we hope you enjoy them!
Salted or unsalted butter ?
We use unsalted. We hope you enjoy!
This is the 2nd time i made these. The 1st time for a Halloween party last year, they were super easy & totally a hit. I made the mixture again last night& was going to chill over night, but didn’t want to put the dish right in the fridge hot & accidentally left it sitting on the counter overnight. ? Being that there is heavy cream in this, do you think they should still be ok to serve after sitting out at roo temp for a few hours? I can’t believe i did that.
Hi Zoe! We’re glad to hear you enjoy these — no worries about accidentally leaving them out overnight, they should be fine. :)
Okay – I Googled the problem “split ganache”…. This is caused by not heating the cream & the butter, if you’re using butter, first, BEFORE adding in the chocolate. This is key. I was able to salvage the mixture by following the steps found. After the mixture came together, I added the whiskey. Two things I noticed, the mixture tasted salty, and the whiskey was not prominent at all, I couldn’t define that flavor.
I’m glad I tried this recipe. In the future I will not be using this formula..
Thanks for sharing this with us, Becky — we’re sorry you didn’t care for it.
I just tried the first step in this recipe. I used 1/3cup of heavy whipping cream, 16 Oz. of dark chocolate chips (Nestle), all I had on hand, and 2 tablespoons of butter. I used a heavy saucepan on the stove and just after the chocolate melted it did not go smooth, but started to separate and have a liquid butter in the mixture which will not incorporate at all. I added the sea salt and stirred more, but to no avail. I’m not wasting my whiskey at this point, since the other ingredients are now a waste.
So, what went wrong?
have you ever dipped them in melty chocolate- a la cake balls?
We haven’t, but we think that sounds dreamy! :)
I made these for myself, and ended up sharing them with friends so I wouldn’t eat them all. The recipe was so easy! For some reason, all the whiskey kick came up front in my truffles before finishing with dark chocolate deliciousness. Because of that, I got comments like, “I didn’t think I liked it at first, but then the flavor grew on me.” Someone else called the texture, “Perfect!” When I make this again, I’m going to take your suggestion of rolling it in nuts, however, they were wonderful for me with just the dusted coating :) Thank you!
Thanks for sharing with us — we’re glad to hear you enjoyed them! :)