Tell us where you get your favorite hot chocolate
Tomorrow is National Hot Chocolate Day. Where do you get your favorite hot chocolate?
Jessica Webster | AnnArbor.com
Here in 21st century America, we tend to take our drinking chocolate for granted. Maybe we enjoy a nice mug of drinking chocolate during the winter months. We'll make it with hot water and a packet of instant mix, or we will carefully blend frothed whole milk with melted chocolate drops. We'll top it with whipped cream or marshmallows. We've all got our favorites.
Tomorrow is evidently National Hot Chocolate Day. What better way to celebrate the rich history of this drink than to tip back a hot steaming mug of your favorite hot chocolate? And to make us appreciate it even more, the temperatures are predicted to plunge back down into the 20s. We'll need some hot cocoa to warm us up.
Last year, Food & Wine magazine listed the Mindo Hot Chocolate from Zingerman's Next Door as one of the best in the country. Today we want to hear from you.
Who makes the best hot chocolate in town? Are you partial to the hot cocoa at Beezy's? Does Starbucks hot chocolate make your day? Will you go out of your way to get a mug from Comet Coffee?
Post your favorite in the comments below. Tomorrow we'll reveal your favorites, and I will share the extensive local hot chocolate research my 10-year-old and I have been doing as well.
Jessica Webster leads the Food & Grocery section for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at JessicaWebster@annarbor.com. You also can follow her on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.
Comments
Chloe
Thu, Jan 31, 2013 : 4:53 p.m.
The Drowsy Parrot in Saline.
Karen
Thu, Jan 31, 2013 : 12:24 p.m.
Espresso Elevado in Plymouth, MI!
Linda Peck
Thu, Jan 31, 2013 : 12:22 p.m.
I'm with Brian, I make my own. When you make your own, you can reduce the sugar, add a bit of cinnamon maybe, and a few grains of salt. Whole milk is the best. Start with a small amount of water, add heaping T of cocoa or however much you like, the grains of salt, the sugar you like, cinnamon if you like, cook it a bit, add the milk.
brian
Thu, Jan 31, 2013 : 3:46 a.m.
I get my best hot chocolate at home. I then sit down and watch a few of my fav shows. It only cost me pennies.
TheDiagSquirrel
Thu, Jan 31, 2013 : 1:35 a.m.
The Speedway on the corner of Hewitt and Michigan Ave. in Ypsilanti has some great hot chocolate!
Renee S.
Thu, Jan 31, 2013 : 1:21 a.m.
Zingerman's drinking chocolate, hands down.
Susan Lignell
Thu, Jan 31, 2013 : 1:05 a.m.
My kids think Juicy Kitchen has the best hot chocolate. JK uses Calder's Chocolate milk - steamed just right with whipped cream on top!
christy
Wed, Jan 30, 2013 : 10:45 p.m.
Great Lakes Chocolate & Coffee on Jackson Rd. Absolutely the best chocolate any kind of drink!!!
uabchris
Wed, Jan 30, 2013 : 10:07 p.m.
SCHAKOLAD ...hands down THE best!!!
Rita Mitchell
Wed, Jan 30, 2013 : 9:07 p.m.
Sweet Gem Confections, located inside Morgan & York, on Packard, just south of Stadium. Spiced hot chocolate mix, to make at home. Yum!!!
Jessica Webster
Wed, Jan 30, 2013 : 9:54 p.m.
Oh, I haven't tried that. Morgan & York makes up a nice hot chocolate too - sometimes just frothed Calder chocolate milk, sometimes Mindo powder.
treetowncartel
Wed, Jan 30, 2013 : 8:39 p.m.
What, 16 comments and no one has harkened back to their "Drake's" days?
Jessica Webster
Wed, Jan 30, 2013 : 9:02 p.m.
Were you a fan of their hot chocolate? I don't think I ever tried that.
ummsw
Wed, Jan 30, 2013 : 8:18 p.m.
Calder'Chocolate Milk (warmed) with whip cream ..as I sit at home by the fire..the best!!
Jason Colman
Wed, Jan 30, 2013 : 8:13 p.m.
Just Good Chocolate hot cocoa at RoosRoast! Made in Michigan.
Jason Colman
Wed, Jan 30, 2013 : 8:14 p.m.
http://justgoodchocolate.com/products
Murf
Wed, Jan 30, 2013 : 7:57 p.m.
Starbucks hot chocolate is the best especially since Seattle's Best Cocoa Trio is no longer in the area. If they built a stand alone store with a drive thru (and great reward program like Starbucks has), that would seriously give Starbucks a run for their money.
notnecessary
Thu, Jan 31, 2013 : 7:51 a.m.
Seattle's best is owned by Starbucks
PWJT8D
Wed, Jan 30, 2013 : 7:44 p.m.
Great Lakes Chocolate & Coffee has my favorite hot chocolate.
77ejalum77
Wed, Jan 30, 2013 : 6:43 p.m.
Kind of a fun twist on hot chocolate is at Iorio's Gelateria on William Street by Cottage Inn. They do something called a gellatte? They will steam any flavor of their gelato and add flavored syrup, sometimes flavored whip cream and you can even combine flavors. My favorite is the Venezuelan Dark Chocolate with some coconut gelato and I think it was hazelnut flavored whip cream. It was delicious.
Mike
Wed, Jan 30, 2013 : 6:42 p.m.
Schakolad has the best I've found.
Goober
Wed, Jan 30, 2013 : 6:18 p.m.
Starbucks! Yum!
Cole Bertsos
Wed, Jan 30, 2013 : 6:06 p.m.
For all the vegans out there who love hot cocoa and thought you were out of luck, this is a great recipe — I prefer using vanilla almond milk instead of unsweetened, personally. http://www.snack-girl.com/snack/vegan-hot-chocolate/
TaxPayer
Wed, Jan 30, 2013 : 6 p.m.
I miss Borders Hot Chocolate....probably more than the books
Murf
Wed, Jan 30, 2013 : 8 p.m.
Their website has local places listed but I'm guessing that maybe it's to buy their ground coffee, not a stand alone place to get their outstanding Cocoa Trio drink.
Jessica Webster
Wed, Jan 30, 2013 : 6:08 p.m.
For the last 5 or so years, they had Seattle's Best in the stores. I don't think there are any nearby, but you might be able to find them again when you're on the road.
Aaron Mercer
Wed, Jan 30, 2013 : 5:59 p.m.
Zingerman's Mayan cocoa is a stellar winter warmer - fairly spicy though!
Mallory
Wed, Jan 30, 2013 : 5:57 p.m.
I love this recipe from Alton Brown. I've already finished off one whole batch of it this winter and need to make another. My family likes it much better with whole milk, or a whole milk/2% mixture, than with straight 2%. I've never cared for any hot chocolate I've purchased at any known establishment. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/hot-cocoa-recipe/index.html
kmgeb2000
Wed, Jan 30, 2013 : 5:54 p.m.
Grocer's Daughter Chocolate, Empire Michigan!
NCTerry
Wed, Jan 30, 2013 : 5:41 p.m.
My favorite destination for hot chocolate would have to be Zingerman's Next Door because of their knowledge of chocolate. They really know what they're doing - as opposed to other shops that just put a mixture in the cup and stir.