YYC hot chocolate tours
By Ramiro Bustamante Torres, Shana Razouki, Ava Zardynezhad and Rachneet Randhawa, March 21 2022—
Ramiro’s Review:
Tres Leches Hot Chocolate by Good Trade:
The unassuming locale in Kensington held one of the best hot chocolates I’ve tried. The cup is small and has a great flavour, accompanied by a tiny cookie which really adds to the whole experience. It came with icing and it really did taste like tres leches cake, so if you’re a sweet tooth this one will be your favourite.
The Neapolitan by Higher Ground:
This hot chocolate was not very exceptional but it was decent to try. It came with a neapolitan cookie on it which stole most of the show. I’d recommend this hot chocolate to any one who likes the taste of warm, melted neapolitan ice cream.
Shana’s Review:
Kukuh Xocolatl by Canela:
An authentic, vegan, Mayan hot chocolate served with a churro.
The hot chocolate was good but over-spiced with cinnamon. Midway through the drink, the cinnamon had completely overpowered and it was no longer enjoyable. However, the churro on the side served as a nice treat when dipped in the drink.
Rating: 2/5
Cookies & Cream by Rosso Coffee:
White chocolate base with the addition of chocolate cookie crumbles. The use of white chocolate set it apart from classic milk chocolate and gave it a creamy, vanilla ice cream taste. This drink definitely runs on the sweeter side, but I didn’t mind as it was a lot lighter than most. The cookie crumbles were all settled at the bottom of the cup, but nonetheless still created that cookies and cream flavor.
Rating: 5/5
Cookie Dough Hot Chocolate by Hexagon Cafe:
A take on the classic cookie dough flavour served with a real cookie on top. The only cookie dough part of this hot chocolate was the actual cookie that came with it, which was soft and delicious. The hot chocolate itself was creamy and flavorful, but rather average. I still enjoyed drinking it, but wished it had more of the cookie dough flavor that was anticipated.
Rating: 4/5
S’mores Hot Chocolate by Alforno Bakery & Cafe:
Dark chocolate base, topped with a toasted marshmallow and cookie crumble.As someone who is not a fan of dark chocolate, this drink was not for me. However, I found it to be rather bland in terms of flavour, and a little watered-down. The toasted marshmallow on top was a nice touch though.
Rating: 2/5
Ava’s Review:
Crema Di Arachidi Cioccolato by Cravings Bistro:
This was a deconstructed take on an Italian hot chocolate.
This drink was definitely decedent. The hot chocolate was incredibly rich and creamy. The only issue for me was the amount of peanut incorporated in the drink. The nutty taste was so overwhelming, so much so that it overpowered the chocolate.
Rating: 2.5/5
Rachneet’s Review:
Salted Miso Hot Chocolate by Caffe Artigiano:
A blend of a chocolate sphere, miso powder, Vancouver Island salt, dehydrated marshmallow, caramel drizzled with Callbut pearls and served with a salted double chocolate chip cookie, this was the most refined hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted. It definitely wasn’t anything for the sweet tooth and the palette was for those who appreciate layers of subtlety. Personally, this hot chocolate was one of the pricier ones and I found it saltier than I would have liked. Regardless, this was made up for it in its carefully crafted mixture.
Rating: 3/5
Raspberry Cheesecake by Pixie’s Candy Parlour:
Say cheese?! This absolutely scrumptious raspberry cheesecake was made in-store from scratch using a popular fudge and melded into a delightful blend of crushed graham crackers, raspberry syrup, cheesecake whip cream, topped with freeze-dried raspberries. This hot chocolate drink is definitely for sweet-tooth lovers and is simple yet high quality — the drink has bold ingredients that pack a strong aromatic punch that wake up your taste buds on the first sip.
Rating: 4/5
Chocolate Dirty Chai by Aggudo Coffee Inc:
Never did I think I’d come across a blend of my two favourite go-to hot beverages — chai tea and hot cocoa! But this drink does do you dirty as it takes it one hot sip further with a shot of coffee espresso. Chocolate espresso and tea drinkers unite together by merging the sweet and spicy flavours of chai with the rich bite of espresso and the smooth sweetness of chocolate. This drink is a medley of multicultural madness in your mouth. But, it gets better — the surprise signature of the savory chai spice seeps in unexpectedly and the next thing you know, you’re swimming in a kaleidoscope of culinary colours and you begin to wonder why you’ve never tried to mix this magic convocation before. As you can tell by now, hands down my all-star favourite and top pick for the hot chocolate tours festival 2022.
Rating: 4.5/5