Downtown merchants are creating some unique hot chocolate recipes to warm bellies and delight taste buds this month.
Olde Towne Okotoks’ new Hot Chocolate Festival will present nine varieties of the beloved wintertime beverage, with flavours ranging from raspberry to lavender, in downtown shops Feb. 14 to 24.
“Calgary has a similar event for an entire month that’s hugely popular, however people in Okotoks have to go to Calgary to participate in it,” said Katie Fournell, founder of K-T Events, who organized the festival. “We have so many amazing cafés in our own downtown and I thought ‘what if we put something together so people can still get warm in the middle of the winter.’”
Fournell is always game to trying something new, and figured a hot chocolate festival was a great way to challenge the talents of connoisseurs.
“This is making that happen even at locations that don’t often have the special feature drink,” she said. “With the Hot Chocolate Festival happening in the winter and the Saskatoon Festival happening in the summer, more businesses will get involved and the competition will be steep.”
The 10-day festival, which encompasses Family Day and Rogers Hometown Hockey, has eight downtown merchants and the local museum hopping on board.
The Cactus Club Salon & Spa is serving Blackberry Bliss, Okotoks Museum & Archives will offer hot chocolate, a craft, contest and exhibit, and Shared Spaces has a tall, dark and handsome cioccolato.
Other creations include Lovely Lavender by Tribal Connection Market, Bearcat’s Slapshot by Sweetgrass Deli, Cookies for KidSport by A Very Delightful Boutique, Chocolate Tea-ser by On Tap Oil & Vinegar, Custom Art Creations by 94 Take the Cake and Raspberry Whizz by The British Chippy.
Prices range from free to $6.
The British Chippy owners Gary and Simone Hodgkinson whipped up hot chocolate blended with fresh raspberry puree and topped with fresh cream, toasted marshmallows and home made merengue dipped in chocolate for the occasion.
“We just didn’t want hot chocolate to be hot chocolate with something on top, we wanted it to be different,” said Simone. “I didn’t want any added artificial anything.”
To keep the beverage as organic and natural as possible, the couple came up with the idea of fresh raspberries, said Simone.
“It’s so good,” she said. “It’s nice to taste something that is sweet but naturally sweet.”
Simone said she’s already received 35 messages asking when Raspberry Whizz will be available. There have also been some grievances from customers at the Calgary store.
“Some people are complaining we’re releasing it only at the Okotoks location and not the Calgary location,” she said with a laugh. “I expect it to be very popular.”
Getting businesses like British Chippy on board was no challenge for Fournell, who said many who participated in last year’s Saskatoon Festival were game to have a go at hot chocolate.
“The Olde Towne members were very excited to try something and be creative,” she said. “Some of them are more creative than I thought they were going to be. There’s some that are just really jumping on board for the crazy. We have one that has merengue in it, one with blackberries and one hot chocolate that’s just melted chocolate that’s like a shot.”
The public can vote for their favourite drink at www.ktevents.ca
“The voting will be hard because there’s none that are similar,” said Fournell. “It might come down to who has the audience that wants to go and vote for them the most.”
