2023 YYC Hot Chocolate Festival: Reviews
Hi, my fellow foodies!
In Calgary, for the entirety of February, we have a hot chocolate festival where local coffee shops create a special hot chocolate people can try and then vote for their favourite. Part of the proceeds of each hot chocolate sold go to the Calgary Meals on Wheels charity, so you can gorge yourself on chocolatey goodness for a good cause. I typically manage to try 1-3 hot chocolates per year, but this time I challenged myself to drive more places outside my comfort zone and I managed to try 8! Every hot chocolate was hella delicious and it was so hard to choose my favorite! So in no particular order, here are the hot chocolates I tried.
Euphoria Cafe
“Inspired by the Moose Droppings Chocolate you find all over Canada in souvenir shops, our talented baristas bring a twist to it by going on a Safari adventure. We first melt semi-sweet chocolate droppings (chips) blended with a coconut syrup found on our safari. We then steam fresh milk of your choice (cow or plant), and pour into the melted chocolate. We top off with a dusting of cocoa and a gluten free safari animal cracker that will slowly sink and melt into your hot chocolate adding a delicious cookie flavour. Enjoy this adventure in a cup!”
I really enjoyed this one which surprised me because I don’t usually like coconut things. This drink wasn’t too sweet at all and I finished it so quickly. I wished there was more because I liked how light the flavour was. The cracker disintegrated by the time I had finished the drink, so my last few sips were thick and tasty. I liked how the cookie flavour mingled with the hot chocolate as I drank it. I would definitely drink this again.
Price: $6.50
4.5/5⭐
Ladybug Bakery and Cafe
This hot chocolate is a “blend of white and dark chocolate with a hint of raspberry topped with whip cream and an actual mini fresh raspberry tart.”
The tart was delicious and paired perfectly with the hot chocolate. The drink itself was pretty tasty and light, so I didn’t feel sick after drinking the entire thing. It wasn’t overly sweet either. Price was pretty great too, especially since you got a tart with your drink.
Price: $6.50
4/5⭐
Pixie’s Candy Parlour
“This year at Pixie's, we decided to highlight what we are known for, our 1950s Soda Fountain. In recent years we have been known for using our fudge in creative and interactive ways, making a rich & creamy hot chocolate. Why not re-imagine fudge again? Enjoy a Bounty bar in hot chocolate form, but frozen! We have deconstructed a hot chocolate and rebuilt it using our rare soda fountain, one of two in all Canada. Enjoy creamy coconut ice cream mixed with chocolate fudge, topped with whipped cream, chocolate shavings and more coconut. Each sip is rich with velvety chocolate and accompanied by coconut shavings from our ice cream, creating the sensation of eating a bounty bar in every sip.”
Once again, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this coconut cold chocolate. It was so creamy and delicious! Definitely creamier than Euphoria’s, which I enjoyed a lot. However, this drink includes coconut shavings whereas Euphoria’s just had coconut syrup. I don’t like eating physical coconut bits, so that dropped my rating for this drink, but aside from the chewing, I loved this cold version of hot chocolate!
Price: $5.99
4/5⭐
Fringe Coffee
“This steamy cup of heaven is made with rich, velvety milk, GF and VF chocolate, and a raspberry syrup made in house. This is a versatile drink that can be made with milk or milk alternatives. Sounds sweet doesn't it? Don't let the sweet and fruity flavors fool you – sometimes love hurts and this hot chocolate has a little kick to it. A dash of spicy chilli pepper not only amps up the flavor but also leaves you feeling a little warm inside. One sip and you'll be smacking your lips and reaching for a second (or third) cup. So why wait? Come on down and try our Raspberry Chilli hot chocolate – it's the perfect pick-me-up for those chilly winter days. Just don't blame us if you get a little obsessed...”
I’M OBSESSED. I think this may be my favourite hot chocolate out of all the ones I tried. First, I liked the odd combo of raspberry and chili, and this was a perfectly creamy hot chocolate! You could get this spicy or mild, and I got the mild. There’s just a hint of a kick, which was absolutely perfect. Also, the fact that their raspberry syrup is homemade—um, hell yeah, yes please! The presentation may be less fancy than their other competitors, but it definitely makes up for it in flavour. Loved this.
Price: $6.50
5/5⭐
Light Cellar
“Enjoy the unique infusion of heirloom cacao with grass-fed browned butter, local, organic, free range egg yolks, digestive supporting, organic, grass-fed milk and immune stimulating colostrum. Topped with organic, local crème fraîche whip for the ultimate nourishing and delicious hot chocolate.” Made with: Browned butter, Egg Yolks, Cacao Nibs, Cacao Butter, Milk, Colostrum, Maple Syrup, Maple Sugar, Sea Salt, Créme Fraîche (Cream, Maple Syrup, Vanilla Powder), Reishi Mushroom Extract, and Mesquite Powder.
I was really curious what this would taste like because it’s full of healthy things. However, this was definitely a contender for my fav hot chocolate because healthy never tasted this good. This was the richest, creamiest hot chocolate I have probably ever had in my life. It was so rich that I couldn’t finish it 😅 Luckily, my bf was a huge fan of it too and shared it with me. I’d say this hot chocolate definitely gets an A+ for creativity, because who knew you could add mushrooms to hot chocolate and have it taste amazing!
Price: $7.00
4.5/5⭐
The Bullet Coffee House
“Enjoy our classic throwback with the Wagon Wheel Biscuit you grew up with combined with The Bullet's rich and creamy caramel hot chocolate. While you sip from the graham crumb caramel lined rim you’ll be delighted with the caramel-to-chocolate ratio steamed milk pleasantly followed by vanilla-infused whip cream, salted toffee crunchy bits, caramel drizzle garnished with the ultimate sweet snack we all know and love, the Original Wagon Wheel biscuit! Don’t forget to DUNK! We highly recommend dunking the Wagon Wheel while you enjoy your Caramel Wagon Wheel. The layered soft cookies sandwiched around marshmallow with a deliciously chocolatey outside make the ideal finishing touch to this sensational hot chocolate creation.”
Holy crap, this hot chocolate was INTENSE. Amazing presentation for sure. I like how it comes with a straw, because there’s no way you could ever put a lid on that thing 😂 I absolutely loved the graham-lined rim and thought it added extra yummy flavour to each sip of hot chocolate. This drink is definitely hella sweet though—I could feel the cavities forming haha. I thought the portion size was awesome for the price. My dog also enjoyed the whipped cream—the parts that didn’t touch the chocolate or caramel anyway 😅 In regards to creativity, I’d say it was a caramel hot chocolate on steroids, but delicious nonetheless.
Price: $6.25
3.5/5⭐
Monogram Coffee
“Sweet and salty caramel paired with creamy milk chocolate, topped with whipped cream and a crunchy seed and coffee crumble”
This hot chocolate seemed so interesting because of the miso caramel. It definitely lived up to my hype haha. I thought the drink was so creamy and rich, and I could actually taste the hints of miso, which was great! The flavours mixed so well. However, I wish there wasn’t the crunchy seeds on the topping because they messed with the smoothness of the drink. I have a thing for mixing crunchy things in drinks, so I wasn’t a fan of that. Aside from that, I really enjoyed this hot chocolate! It was definitely on the pricier end though, because if you wanted a slightly larger size it was around $8.
Price: $7.00
4/5⭐
Café Jindo
“The hojicha crème brûlée hot chocolate! Made with decadent white chocolate, hojicha, oat milk, a caramel tuile and citrus chocolate garnish!”
I had been wanting to try this since the festival began, so I was so happy I got to try it on the final day. This hot chocolate was everything I had hoped it would be. It was super yummy and creamy! I really wish there was more though, because it was super light and felt like it was only half full. However, I loved the flavour and would definitely buy this again if they sold it as a regular item on their menu 😍
Price: $7
4.5/5⭐
That’s a wrap! I had a blast trying all of these hot chocolates, and I can’t wait to see who the winners are! Everybody did an amazing job so I don’t know how they’ll be able to pick one winner 😅 I also can’t wait to see who the contestants are next year, but alas, I must wait until next year for that info. Which hot chocolate from my list would you vote for? Let me know in the comments below!
Happy sugar high!
