Chocolog: A Sweet Place for Chocolate Lovers!

I’ll admit I was procrastinating…

Many experts agree that tasters will enjoy the savoring experience more if the wine they sip is sweeter than the chocolate. I have the skinny on some fortified wines that will undoubtedly elevate your chocolate ritual...

Hello, Class! Welcome to Spelling, Geography and Chemistry 101. Wait...what? You thought you enrolled in a course on pairing chocolate with whiskey??? Well, today’s spiritual lesson takes a multidisciplinary approach to bourbon and Scotch, so get ready to play with the alphabet, the map, your chemistry set, and, of course, chocolate. 

“I meditate, I do yoga, and I have a lot of friends who are healers...And if none of that works, I go buy a chocolate bar and a bottle of cognac.” ...

Have you noticed a wide array of playful vodka flavors popping up, such as citrus, dragon fruit, açaí, pepper, Sriracha, bacon, salted caramel, birthday cake and even cinnamon bun??? Many of these contain artifical flavorings, but you can make your own delicious and all-natural cacao nib-infused vodka!

Gin may be one of the trickier spirits to pair with chocolate, but it can be done, and it can be done well. Welcome to my virtual gin joint where we will explore how to do this with happy results...

In these remaining days of summer, I invite you to pair romantic rum with civilized chocolate. Perhaps rum is often enjoyed during steamy weather because it hails from tropical locales where both sugar cane and cacao grow...

Tequila has vegetal, earthy and semi-sweet spicy notes. The finest quality tequilas are the añejos, and they happen to be the ones that would pair most harmoniously with exceptional chocolate...

I typically don’t drink anything stronger than green juice. Alcohol is just not my thing. On a rare occasion, I might enjoy a few sips of my husban...

Deforestation in South America, cacao’s ancestral home, threatens to destroy the diversity of this magnificent and complex plant. Scientists, particularly those who hold chocolate near and dear to their hearts, have long been concerned over the genetic erosion of cacao, and fortunately the plant is designated as a priority crop for conservation. Germplasm banks were created to conserve biodiversity, conduct research, and breed cacao. These banks are like chocolate rescue centers...safe havens that function as a cross between labs and botanical gardens.

Adriana mentioned the enjoyable chocolate and honey high she experienced that lingered well beyond the actual tasting. I knew exactly what she was talking about because I had felt it, too.

Walk into any supermarket and for $3 or less, you can buy a chocolate bar with all kinds of extravagant claims on its eye-catching label. Some people may be surprised to learn that many exceptional chocolate bars can cost $10, $20, or more!  There are a number of reasons why this is the case. Truth be told, not all cacao trees and their beans are created equal.