Everyone loves a cup of hot chocolate on a cold, winter day, but what makes it even better? When it also supports a good cause.
Every year in February, YYC Hot Chocolate Fest brings together dozens of restaurants and cafés in a friendly competition to see who can create the best hot chocolate, which is judged and voted on by the public. A portion of all proceeds goes to Meals on Wheels to help support its mission to end food insecurity in Calgary. The 2024 festival was one of the biggest ever, with more than 70,000 cups enjoyed by the public and over $100,000 dollars raised for Meals on Wheels.
This year, 137 restaurants and cafés have revealed one-of-a-kind hot chocolate creations, which are available from February 1 to 28. At the end of the month, awards are given for the most sold drink, top-rated hot chocolate, top-rated spirited hot chocolate and most creative drink. You can vote on the festival’s website or by downloading the YYC Hot Chocolate Fest app for Android and IOS.
Here are just a few of the drinks we’re excited to try this year.
Road Apples from Congress Coffee
Congress Coffee is known for its live music events and music decor, so naturally, this hot chocolate is inspired by music too — specifically the Tragically Hip album Road Apples. The drink is the café’s take on apple pie, made with white chocolate, a homemade apple pie syrup and topped with cinnamon streusel and spiced whipped cream.
1A, 215 36 Ave. N.E., 403-452-7320, congresscoffeeshop.com
Hungarian Hot Chocolate from Thomsons Kitchen & Bar
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Thomsons has created a unique spiced hot chocolate for this year’s festival. The Hungarian Hot Chocolate is spiced with cloves, plus an added touch of white pepper and smoked paprika to add some interesting notes. It’s served with a custard-filled chimney cake pastry. Try this one spiked (for an extra charge), if you feel so inclined.
Inside Hyatt Regency Calgary, 112 8 Ave. S.E., 403-616-3567, thomsonskitchenbar.ca
Soda Popz from Social Grounds
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If you’re a fan of root beer floats, this is the hot chocolate for you. Milk is steamed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and added to a rich chocolate sauce and root beer syrup. To recreate the bubbles of a classic root beer float, the drink is finished with cotton candy pop rocks, as well as whipped cream and a cherry on top.
11, 3109 Palliser Dr. S.W., socialgroundsyyc.ca
Hot Match-ocolate from Egg & Spoon
Matcha and chocolate are a match made in heaven, so of course we’re excited to try this drink made with a base of cocoa, matcha and hazelnut, as well as steamed milk and a touch of salt to balance everything out. As an added bonus, the drink is finished with matcha whipped cream and an avocado espresso brownie.
7729 Macleod Tr., 403-300-3347, eggandspoon.ca
Hot Yuzu Mess from Maven
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This hot chocolate is a fun play on s’mores with a citrusy twist. The drink is made with a Milo malted chocolate base and topped with tangy torched yuzu meringue and crispy puffed rice for texture.
1006 17 Ave. S.W., 403-457-7898, maven-hospitality.com
Lavender Honey Hot Chocolate from Approach Café and Bar
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Enjoy a little taste of spring with Approach’s offering this year. This hot chocolate is made with a touch of lavender syrup for some refreshing floral notes. Finished off with more lavender syrup drizzled on top and a honey cookie, this creative drink is a nice reminder of the warm weather to come. Approach is located inside SoCal Bouldering, but everyone is welcome to try out this creation.
Inside SoCal Bouldering, 75 Shawville Link S.E., 587-603-6201, approachyyc.com
Spanish Hot Chocolate from Otie Bakehouse
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One of Otie’s festival entries is more than just hot chocolate. This creation is part drink, part meal, with a thick drinking chocolate nestled inside a churro croissant “cup” to eat afterwards.
1225 Macleod Tr. S.E., 587-393-1989, otiebakes.com
Happy Hibiscus from Begonia Bakehouse
This hot chocolate from Begonia Bakehouse uses a variety of chocolate that you don’t see every day. The Happy Hibiscus hot chocolate uses ruby chocolate, a recently developed type of pink chocolate that contains berry notes without any addition of flavouring or colour. Begonia’s offering is topped with a floral rose marshmallow to finish it all off.
1502 14 St. S.W., 587-355-7768, begoniabakehouse.com
Tim Tam Slam from Yellow Door Bistro
A Tim Tam slam is an Australian right of passage — you bite off the ends of a Tim Tam chocolate biscuit and suck the hot chocolate through it like a straw, subsequently being “slammed” by chocolatey goodness. Yellow Door Bistro has taken this idea to the next level with a peppermint chocolate ganache hot chocolate to drink through the included Tim Tam, as well as chantilly cream. There’s also an optional dose of Irish cream liqueur.
119 12 Ave. S.W., 403-206-9585, yellowdoorbistro.ca
Atol De Elote from Quechivo Salvadoran Street Food
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Sweet corn pureé, cinnamon and Salvadoran chocolate all come together to create a must-try drink from Quechivo Salvadoran Street Food. The pieces of candy corn on top add a fun little twist.
Inside Fresh & Local Market & Kitchens, 12445 Lake Fraser Dr. S.E., 403-472-9998, quechivo.ca