YYC Hot Chocolate Festival 2023 reviews
By Valery Perez, Ramiro Bustamante Torres, Megan Koch, Sophia Lopez, March 4 2023—
The YYC Hot Chocolate Festival has once again flown by this last month. Some of our staff got to check out a few of the contenders this year and what they had to offer.
VALERY’S PICKS: VISUALS EDITOR
Higher Ground: Rockin’ Roca — 3/10
This hot chocolate did not deliver. The flavours were bland and tasted a bit buddy all at once. The presentation itself was also kind of boring. Just some plain whipped cream with some rocky sprinkles. The Roca was not Rockin’.
RAMIRO’S PICKS: LAYOUT EDITOR
Higher Ground: Rockin’ Roca — 7/10
If you want a safe choice, this is the one for you. While it doesn’t stand out as much as I had hoped for, it doesn’t disappoint me in flavour or presentation.
Higher Ground: Tiramisu Hot Chocolate (Spirited) — 6/10
This boozy option at Higher Ground surprised me from the first sip. The presentation does resemble tiramisu but only with the ladyfinger cookie on it. The whipped cream-to-hot chocolate ratio was almost equal so the Kahlua’s flavour stood out a lot from the first sip on. Definitely a treat I would have only once.
Stable: Cheeky Banana Hot Chocolate — 3/10
Unfortunately, this one I had some hopes for and it didn’t live up to them. The actual presentation compared to the photo in the contest entry did not match up, with the actual hot chocolate did not have a cherry, instead it was a marshmallow. The fried banana lacked flavour, it tasted more like a bad wafer than a fruit.
Hexagon Cafe: Oreo Brownie Hot Chocolate — 8/10
I have a sweet tooth but this one had a strong sweet flavour. It was quite rich in chocolate, with a brownie and Oreo cookie on top. The presentation was good and I quite enjoyed it. Overall, I think this one is one of my favourites, but I don’t recommend getting more than one hot chocolate with this one for how sweet and rich it is.
MEGAN’S PICKS: VISUALS EDITOR
Amato Gelato Kensington: Tira-I-Miss-U — 2/10
The presentation was there, it was a beautiful hot chocolate. Unfortunately, this hot chocolate was pretty on the outside and ugly on the inside. The whipped topping and the lady fingers were good, but average in comparison to other whipped toppings and lady fingers. The hot chocolate itself was completely underwhelming. It tasted watered down and vaguely familiar… like the instant powder tucked away in the back of my pantry. In addition, it was $10.
Hexagon Cafe: Oreo Brownie Hot Chocolate — 8.5/10
I love this one! It was sweet and the chocolate was rich. The oreo on top was nice, but the little brownie remains one of the most delicious things I’ve ever consumed. The presentation was fun, the hot chocolate was yummy, and it came with a little treat. I agree with Ramiro, however: it’s very sweet, so don’t get more than one.
SOPHIA’S PICKS: EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Oolong Tea House: The Violet — 8/10
I really enjoyed this hot chocolate — if you could even call it that? It was a rooibos tea with hot chocolate with blueberry whipped cream. I thought it was really unique and not too sweet, which is perfect for me. The only reason I’m taking off points was because it wasn’t that hot and it kind of settled at the bottom. I wish they would keep this all year though.
Analog Coffee: Coconut White Hot Chocolate — 5/10
I thought this hot chocolate had “MID” written all over it. I gave it some points because the temperature was pretty spot on, but I thought the coconut was overpowering. I actually sort of liked it at the beginning, but halfway through it was too much. Also not very original, as every year someone’s got one just like this. So unless coconut is your favourite flavour ever, I’m not sure if this will make the top of your list.