Artisan chocolate near me12/7/2023 ![]() Products: Two-ingredient single-origin bars, milk bars, and inclusion bars, as well as drinking chocolate and baking chocolate. Visit: Yes! Check out the shop and factory for tours. At the café, find fun drinks like champurrado and Tejuino (house nixtamalized corn with piloncillo, lime, and salt served over ice), plus confections, mole, cacao tea, and more. Products: Single-origin bars as well as inclusions and drinking chocolate mixes. Visit: Yes! Check out the factoría with traditional Mexican food both savory and sweet. Products: Tons of inclusion bars as well as milk, white, and confections, all made with single-origin Hacienda Limon beans from Ecuador (the one exception is their Washu project, supporting an endangered species in Ecuador). Also hit up the café for chocolate soda and a brownie. Visit: Yes! The factory is an open space, so you can peep at production on your own or take a formal factory tour. Products: Single-origin bars and unusual inclusions like Palo Santo wood and Pop Rocks (there’s a recipe for it in my book!) as well as baked goods and ice cream (Sebastian closed the café during the pandemic.) Visit: Yes! Pick up bars and treats to go. ![]() Year Founded: 2009 under the name Cocanu, 2014 under the name Cloudforest Note: previously called Cocanu (and Cocanu was on this list!) Also be sure to check out confectionary treats (though these are not made bean to bar, just fyi). Products: Single-origin chocolate bars and drinking chocolate. Visit: Yes! View the bean-to-bar process through a window, and by spring 2021 (fingers crossed), the shop will feature an immersive experience about the history of cacao and how chocolate is made. Size: Tiny (note that the entire company would be considered large) Year Founded: Bean-to-bar program was started in 2017, but Christopher founded his confectionary company in 2003 Products: Single-origin and inclusion bars and bonbons as well as drinking chocolate, nibs, and beans. Visit: Yes! Check out the café with plenty of special desserts and confections. Products: Vegan bars with lots of fun inclusions and other products (think toffee almond bites). Visit: Yes! The storefront is as dapper as chocolate maker Josh Rosen’s outfits. If you visit the shop you can also try and buy truffles, cookies, drinking chocolate, and more. Products: Focuses on rare heirloom beans and single-origin bars. Products: Two-ingredient bars as well as blends, inclusions, and milk chocolate made with beans from Peru and Mexico. Now, without further ado, THE CHOCOLATE! Acalli Chocolate Definitely call or email them before planning a visit to their space, as things change daily in our brave new world. ![]() The company sizes and visiting information is based on their pre-pandemic states, within reason. Of course, all of us, including these companies, have been affected by the global pandemic. This updated list also notes woman-owned companies and BIPOC-owned companies. And giant makers have many employees (around 100), great distribution, and sometimes even wholesale or private-label businesses. Large makers have dozens of employees, a space where the public can visit, and good distribution. Small- and medium-size makers have a few more employees as well as a retail location and/or café. Tiny generally means it’s a one- or two-person shop without much distribution. I’ve listed them in alphabetical order and divided them into tiny, small, medium, large, and giant - loose categories to give you a sense of whether they’re a one-person operation or a 200-person conglomerate. (And if you want me to narrow it down further for you, well, you’re just gonna have to come to one of my private tastings!) Thanks so much to the amazing tasters who helped me with this list, in particular Brady Brelinski, Genevieve Leloup, Estelle Tracy, Matt Caputo, and David Arnold. I published my first list in 2017 in my book and on this site, but the craft chocolate world is expanding almost every day! That’s why as of September 2020, I’ve updated it to include new makers as well as my top five favorite makers in Canada. That’s why I’m calling this list “ my top makers.” I’m not claiming that this is The Exclusive List of the best bean-to-bar makers ever rather, they’re the ones that I personally think are worth trying and visiting (if they’re open to the public). As I mentioned, everyone has their own definition, as well as their favorite chocolate maker, and opinions range widely.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |