2022 just got a lot sweeter with the kick-off of the Okotoks Hot Chocolate Festival.
Running Feb. 10-21, the festival features 14 cafes and local businesses each offering their own unique take on a classic comfort, and Western Wheel reporter Brent Calver teamed up with organizer Katie Fournell to sample of four.
Brown Sugar Bake Shop
Now in its sophomore year with the festival, Brown Sugar offered up a toasted marshmallow hot chocolate, drizzled with caramel and accompanied by a chocolate toasted marshmallow square. Made in-house, this hot chocolate was a great balance of that toasty caramelized marshmallow flavour without being cloyingly sweet. The square was like a brownie in texture, but flatter, giving a great chocolate-marshmallow ratio.
Okotoks Cinemas
In keeping with its recent reinvention with new drink offerings and new seating (they're super comfy), the theatre of my childhood has whipped up a dark chocolate raspberry hot chocolate. My first sips had a great mix of rich chocolatey flavour complemented with a bright raspberry spark, thanks to their craft syrup. The drink was topped with whipped cream and a delicate sprinkling of chocolate shavings. This would be a great refreshment for a movie.
Covet Sips + Sweets
This newcomer to the Okotoks sugar rush scene came out swinging with a blackberry Nutella hot chocolate. As the wind had started to bite, this cup of warmth was replete with nutty goodness and a subtle-yet-complementary berry flavour. Joining in was a 'Mexican hot chocolate' cookie, with just a little bite of chili flavour, but no burn (confirmed by my partner, who does not do spicy).
Sugar Illusions
To mix things up is a take-home kit, dubbed the 'Bee Bomb' for it's cute bee-like appearance. The white chocolate shell concealed white hot chocolate mix and mini marshmallows, and pouring the hot milk (oat milk this time around so my partner could partake), the novelty of melting the bomb was a great time. This was certainly entertaining before we both sipped at this one. While I'm not a regular white chocolate consumer, this was still a great tasting hot chocolate, and the marshmallows were a great touch. Would recommend this for any white chocolate fans. Note: As it is picked up via contactless pickup, orders should be placed in advance and picked up at [email protected]
In a prior interview on Feb. 4, Fournell said the event has spurred some quirky offerings.
“The businesses are super excited, they make some really creative things,” said Fournell. “There’s things like toasted marshmallows, infused whipped cream, there’s cookies on the side.
“We have 14 locations, but we have a few more hot chocolates than that because a few of the locations have doubled up and done two different kinds of hot chocolate.
“And there’s one location that’s done a hot chocolate and a hot-chocolate cookie, so there’s different things for people to try this year.”
Four of the offerings are also take-home kits.
The event draws a significant following, and while coinciding with Calgary’s own hot chocolate festival, Fournell said there is a draw both locally and from neighbouring communities.
“Those we do see from Calgary are usually looking for the more small-town feel,” she said.
“More and more people are coming, it sounds like it’s something people are really looking forward to and are like, ‘I can’t wait for the hot chocolates to come back.'
“The businesses are doing a phenomenal job, they keep changing their drinks every year, so you get to go and try completely different things you’ve never tried before in Okotoks and won’t be able to try again.”
Businesses have reported the event as a success in past years, Fournell added.
“One business told me they sold over 300 hot chocolates in the week,” she added, stating the website had hundreds of users visiting.
Sugar fiends can track their progress and make sure they catch ’em all using an interactive map on the event’s website,
“If you make an account there then you can go rate all the hot chocolates as you try them” Fournell said. “It’s actually a lot of fun; as you rate all the hot chocolates the cups change colour so you can see which ones you’ve tried already.
“It’s going to be a blast. There’s going to be a lot of sugar.”
To find out where to get a hot chocolate fix, visit hotchoco.ktevents.ca
