In the spirit of the holiday season, most enjoy a nice, warm cup of chocolatey goodness. According to The Spruce Eats, “The Mayans were drinking chocolate made from ground-up cocoa seeds mixed with water, cornmeal and chili peppers — a much different version from the hot chocolate we know today.” After learning this history behind the rich drink, I went on an adventure to find the best local hot chocolate in the Appleton area. 

I kept it in Appleton to give local coffee shops a fair chance instead of going to commercialized shops. I chose Copper Rock, Lou’s Brew and Acoca Coffee all located on East College Avenue. I ordered the smallest size, which was a 12 oz at all 3 shops. The drinks were evaluated on presentation, atmosphere, richness and price. 

First I went to Copper Rock, a coffee shop that also has a full art gallery and stage for customers to enjoy. This drink was priced at $3.15, this was about the price I expected. They have a different survey type question everyday where you take your extra change and vote on different categories, which customers seem to love. The beverage was called out quickly and each staff member behind the counter smiled and asked how my day was. The cup had the holder with the company’s logo, but otherwise was a simple white paper cup and a black lid. The taste was natural, straight to the point and seemed to be more hot water than actual chocolate powder. 

If you ever thought hot cocoa was bad for you, The American Association for the Advancement of Science says that drinking hot cocoa can make you think better, too. “The flavonoids increase the blood flow and oxygen to the brain.” 

I typically only drank coffee from Lou’s Brew until this assignment, so I was pleasantly surprised that they almost tasted and charged the same. This beverage was $3.68 for a 12 oz. Previous to this Lou’s trip I had asked some friends of mine on why they loved this establishment so dearly. My dear friend and fellow senior Jordyn Knuijt said, “The whole place just reminds her of home.” I enjoyed the atmosphere the most, the whole staff is incredibly friendly and seemed to be close friends. The live music that goes on every Monday night, pulls the whole cozy feeling together. The art that was displayed was beautiful and also for sale, which I thought was a neat idea. The drink itself had a smooth taste but was still water based. The temperature felt extremely hot and lingered in your throat. In my partner in this experiment Mitchell Liebhauser and I thought that one really got a bang for the buck at Lou’s Brew. 

I had never been to Acoca, and I had never heard anyone talk about it. Immediately after entering the place I fell in love with the atmosphere, the walls were covered in paintings and various house plants, it was any artistic student’s dream. They had merchandise displayed toward the ordering counter, and the menu was displayed gorgeously. Although the hot chocolate itself was not on the actual menu, one was still able to order it. The drink came out in mediocre time and failed our expectation of presentation. It was in a Styrofoam cup with no recollection of the actual coffee shop. The hot chocolate itself did not taste like chocolate at all, it was mostly hot water, with some sort of foam on top. Liebhauser and I bought seperate chocolate bars at the place to add some sort of flavor to it. 

Many people believe all hot chocolate is the same. In my experience I definitely disagree. Each place had its own defined place, and it was a wonderful journey. My #1 went to Copper Rock. I loved the atmosphere and the awesome art gallery, the staff was so incredibly friendly and the lighting made it seem like a great place to get homework done.