Craving a hot chocolate fix? Pay your money, take your pick

By Manette Newbold

October 31, 2007 | I know all about shivering. Every year as winter makes its uninvited presence in Utah, I get that same feeling that makes my entire body, specifically my jaw, shake uncontrollably.

I also know all about the remedies for winter trembling. They include large flames in a fireplace, warm soup or hot chocolate. Since my landlord won't let us light fires in my house and my soup isn't nearly as good as my mom's, I'm left with hot chocolate that can be purchased at about any gas station or coffee shop in town. For those of you that are like me who need something to help you survive the next freezing months ahead of us, I've discovered a few easy, cheap places to buy and drink the best winter invention since the blanket. Each cocoa will suit a certain personality or mood at the time of consumption. Take your choice.

On-the-go cocoa

At a McDonald's drive-thru the average A-type personality can get exactly what they are looking for to warm their bones between 14 projects, working and highway speeding. For $1.38, a 12-ounce cup of steaming hot chocolate is served to anyone repulsed by having to wait in a long line of slow-pokes who can't decide between whipped cream or marshmallows. The person swamped by overwhelming corporate demands cannot possibly stand to get out of the car, face the biting cold and then wait inside with burger-flipping teenagers and families with 10 kids waiting for Happy Meals.

At McDonald's the customer orders from the car by talking to an employee through a machine that conveniently shows the order and how much it will cost. The person does not deal with another face until the first window where a slightly chubby employee smiles and swipes the customer's card. At the second window, another overweight worker wearing a tacky visor will hand the customer the hot chocolate in a small cup with a lid. No straw. Hey, you get what you pay for.

While driving away, the customer will take the first sip of scorching milk-chocolate perfection, neither creamy or foamy. The texture is thin, smooth and a little watery. But it was fast -- the most important element in their journey for simmering, liquid chocolate. The only problem is, the drink is a little too simmery. The first swallow will inevitably burn the tongue and throat. If the person has time to wait 10 minutes, the cocoa will be the right temperature, however Mr. or Mrs. on-the-go may already be on to something else bigger and better. Like frantically texting while driving.

The creative cocoa

There's something about being able to make a hot chocolate masterpiece at a place that has everything ready for an artist's imagination. At 7-Eleven customers can buy a 20-ounce. cup for $1.37, a penny less that McDonald's with 8 extra ounces. In fact, the most expensive cup the gas station sells is only $1.48 for 24 ounces. Customers never get the same hot chocolate twice if they don't want to because of the 7-Eleven hot chocolate and coffee bar, which includes more than 10 different syrups, creamers and spices. The gas station even has more than one flavor of cocoa. Customers have their choice between regular Hershey's and Hershey's Kisses Cherry Cordial Truffle cocoa. I suggest the latter. It seems to have personality.

The mini marshmallows at the gas station add a personal flair to any cup of hot chocolate, but the creative genius has no reason to stop there. The customer may as well add one or more of the following: hazelnut, chocolate cream, amaretto, half and half or Irish cream, all of which come in little mini samples you would see on a hotel continental breakfast spread. The final taste is whatever the customer makes it and that is where the beauty remains in the 7-Eleven hot chocolate.

The atmosphere is friendly, however, customers are in and out, many of them in a hurry. Being creative takes time and a certain environment that 7-Eleven lacks. I mean hot dogs, Cheetos and Slurpees surround the bar and there is no place to sit. But if all the customer wants is a cup of hot chocolate with a few extra ingredients, the 24-hour convenience store is the place to be. For about five minutes.

The intellectual cocoa

For nearly the double the price of McDonald's hot chocolate a bookworm can kick back at Borders and enjoy a 12-ounce cup of milky hot chocolate. Made fresh the moment the customer orders, the $2.71 chocolately fluid is everything an intellectual could want while musing over paperback novels or newspapers. Borders serves Seattle's Best Coffee and the hot chocolate is made with milk by young adults in their twenties, who, as of last Wednesday, talk about how they love English and sex. The taste of the hot chocolate is different than the cheap stuff you get at drive-thrus and gas stations. It's a little bitter like dark chocolate with rich aftertaste. I would usually say marshmallows are better, more fun, but at Borders the whipped cream they place on top of the creamy drink makes up the difference and more than the little squishy, floating mallows. The cream has a nice smooth, vanilla taste and could be eaten plain by the spoonful.

With the intellectual cocoa, brainiacs can linger at wooden tables or relax on brown leather couches. Those who don't want to read can enjoy light background music and eavesdrop on conversations. It's a comfortable atmosphere, my favorite of all esteemed hot chocolate venues.

The trendy cocoa

Before visiting Starbuck's I had never tried a cup of dark hot chocolate. At the modern, young adult centered coffee chain I had my first. For $2.68, customers get 12 ounces of a warm drink of perfect temperature. The lingering taste of bittersweet nestles itself in taste buds of all who try it. In fact, when a craving comes along, they will most likely remember Starbucks because it's different.

The nice thing about Starbucks is you order at a counter next to a case full of pastries that make you want to drool. Crumb-covered coffee cake is temptation for the eyes and mouth. The other hot chocolate retailers had baked goods too, but they didn't look as appetizing. You can't really compare a McDonald's apple pie to a Starbucks frosting-covered pastry. For music lovers, free iTunes downloads are given out every day at the customer's request. Ten points for Starbucks.

Cool people hang out at Starbucks with books or laptops. In fact in some ways the coffee establishment is a little too cool. It's something cliché from a movie. There seems to be a certain type of people who hang out there. The type that want to sit among a little art on the walls and stylish furniture. However, in spite of fitting into a cookie cutter coffee mold, somehow the shop also seems open to new ideas and people. It's almost liberal. While Starbucks did not have the best hot chocolate, they do have a nice set up, acoustic music in the background, dim lights and an intimate ambiance.

So there you go. Hot chocolate is waiting to be sipped. Find the one that suits you and your lifestyle and don't be afraid to switch it up a bit.

NW
MS