Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival whisks up drinkable art, to February 14
From cherry and coconut to Parmigiano Reggiano, the fest offers 145 creative flavours for 2023
Honolulu Coffee.
MATCHA, PEACH, LEMONGRASS, and pineapple: these are some of the 145 flavours on offer at the 2023 Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival.
The fest has a total of 95 locations taking part in its 13th edition, from Bjornbar Bakery and Nelson the Seagull to À La Mode Pie Café and Casa Mia.
Bjornbar Bakery.
A la Mode Pie Cafe.
Nelson the Seagull Cafe.
When it launched in 2011 by CityFood, the GVR Hot Chocolate Festival was the first city-wide initiative in the world to highlight hot chocolate as a way to support small, local businesses. This year, it’s supporting three local charities: Vancouver Farmers Markets’ Fresh to Families Fund, which provides farm-fresh food to low-income families, newly arrived refugees, and at-risk pregnant women; Growing Chefs!, which pairs chefs and volunteers with elementary schools to grow vegetable gardens, conduct cooking lessons, and get kids excited about healthy food; and its new Marshmallow Dreams Project, which is making festival offerings more accessible to underserved children and low-income families.
Below are a few 2023 highlights.
Honolulu Coffee
Check out the Raincouver: a cup of 70% dark hot chocolate with pink Himalayan salt melts a cloud of cotton candy suspended over top. Available starting January 20, the whimsical drink is one of two fest features at the café’s three locations. There’s also the Donut, a namesake-shaped hot chocolate using 70% dark chocolate mixed with a single shot of espresso and finished with a sea-salt cream-cheese frosty topping.
Motoretta
Motoretta
The downtown gelateria has two knockouts.
Inspired by Southern Italy, the Bel Paese is made with classic Italian dark chocolate, Calabrian chili, and bergamotto citrus; it’s served with zabaione gelato (or a flavour of your choice).
Then there’s the il Re, a nod to Italy’s own “King of Cheese”. A blend of milk and dark chocolate is infused with Parmigiano Reggiano and Castelvetrano olives; it’s served with a slice of guava rotolo cake.
Giovane Caffe.
Giovane Caffè
Both locations are serving two options.
The Mandorlata Calda highlights Italy’s love of almond flavour: rich cocoa powder and creamy almond butter combine with a hint of cinnamon; topped with cinnamon sprinkles and crushed almond, the drink comes with a cantucci (almond) cookie.
The Amarena Calda is a cherry-infused dark hot chocolate made with plant-based milks, topped with Chantilly cream, and dusted with chocolate shavings. The drink is a nod to the Italian tartofu, a gelato dessert, and is served with a vanilla amaretto cookie.
Super Veloce.
Super Veloce
You can justify one of these after a workout.
The Testa Arancione features house-made sugar-free orange zest syrup with cocoa powder and steamed almond milk, topped with vegan coconut cream and orange zest. The drink comes with a coconut Rocher protein ball for some extra energy.
The café’s Miura SV/ Alfa Romeo Farina is a dark hot chocolate with macadamia and maca (sometimes called “Peruvian ginseng”) that comes with a pistachio power ball.
Kafka’s. Photo by Cody Briggs.
Kafka’s
Aside from the Ultimate ‘Kids’ Hot Chocolate (creamy milk chocolate topped whipped cream, sprinkles, and mini and marshmallows and served with a “pizza” bar covered in classic candies), Kafka’s has come up with the Boba Boom Choco-Latta. It’s made of warm 40% milk chocolate with hojicha (Japanese roasted green tea) milk tea and tapioca pearls and comes with a black-sesame chocolate truffle.
For more information, see Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival.
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