This is Page 4 of a four- page article of 25+ ways to glamorize a cup of hot chocolate. Click on the black links below to visit other pages.

• Page 1: Richer Hot Chocolate
• Page 2: Gourmet Flavored Hot Chocolate
• Page 3: Ravishing Hot Chocolate Garnishes
• Page 4: Dazzling Drinkware
• Page 4: Have A Hot Chocolate Tasting Party
• Page 4: Hot Chocolate Recipe Books

 

DAZZLING DRINKWARE		Packaging is everything: your hot chocolate will taste so much better in a gorgeous glass mug versus the same old cup you use for everything.
27. Mocha Mug Imagine how nice everything above will look in these spiffy glass mugs from Anchor Hocking. The large 14-ounce capacity gives everyone a hearty serving of hot chocolate. They’re great for serving soup and other attractive beverages as well. The look is right, as is the price: six mugs for $29.99. More information.
28. Glass Cup with Stainless Steel Saucer If you’d like something smaller and more elegant, this Mezzo Veneziano, a real beauty from Bodum, is one of our favorites. The French design is oh-so-cool: With an 8.5-ounce capacity, the cups are clear glass and the saucers are shiny stainless steel. They’ll also look beautiful on your dinner table serving anything from soup to sorbet. The set of six cups and saucers is $119.99. More information.
29. Irish Coffee Mugs Not just for Irish coffee, these fun, footed mugs can be used for any warm beverage and even for desserts like parfaits, puddings and fruit salads. A set of four mugs is $21.30. More information.
YOUR SUGGESTION
30. What’s Your Favorite Idea? Use the Contact Us link on this page to send us your favorite hot chocolate trick. We just might add it to this article! Your idea can be in any of the categories above: Recipes Flavors Garnishes Serving Suggestions Or it can be something completely different. Thanks for sharing your hot chocolate thoughts.

Grand Finale: A Hot Chocolate Tasting Party

Here’s a fun way to entertain kids and adults alike.

• Get five or six different brands of cocoa, from supermarket varieties up to the best gourmet stuff.
• Buy color-coded paper coffee cups, and give everyone a half cup of each to taste blind.
• Then, discuss each blind brand: discuss it: likes, dislikes, overall rating (you can give everyone a sheet of paper for notes, allowing spaces for red cup, blue cup, green cup, etc. and a ranking of 1 to 5, least good to best.
• Then, reveal what each cup contains: brand and price.

Helpful Discussion Terms

For plain, ungarnished hot chocolate

• Aroma: chocolaty, cocoa-y, creamy, milky, spicy, sugary, sweet
• Body: creamy, full-bodied, medium-body, rich, thin, watery
• Chocolate Flavor: bittwersweet, chocolaty, cocoa-y, milk chocolaty, semisweet
• Sweetness: balanced, bitter, cloying, sweet, sugary

Not only is the activity fun, but it helps people develop their palates and learn how to discuss food.

Cocoa-licious Recipe Books

Hot Chocolate, by Michael Turback. Recipes from top chocolatiers, including Lavender-Pistachio Hot Chocolate; Maple-Whiskey Hot Chocolate Toddy, Nutella Hot Chocolate, and the Frozen Hot Chocolate from Serendipity 3. More information.	Hot Chocolate: 50 Heavenly Cups of Comfort, by Fred Thompson. Tantalizing recipes for milk, dark and white hot chocolate, with flavorings from chai, cinnamon and coffee hot chocolate to orange, peanut butter, peppermint and raspberry. More information.	Chocolate: The Sweet History, by Beth Kimmerle. For those just beginning to learn about chocolate, or those with a fundamental knowledge who want to solidify their learning, Kimmerle has put together a terrific primer. More information.

 

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