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Posted on Wed, Jan 30, 2013 : noon

Tell us where you get your favorite hot chocolate

By Jessica Webster

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Tomorrow is National Hot Chocolate Day. Where do you get your favorite hot chocolate?

Jessica Webster | AnnArbor.com

For thousands of years — before Hershey, before Cadbury — chocolate was consumed as a drink. And not just any drink. Considered magical by some cultures, worth fighting wars over in others. Aztec emperor Montezuma II allegedly drank 50 golden goblets of it every day (that guy knew how to live!)

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.