There’s something sweet and delicious going on at Espresso Warehouse. Over the past few months they’ve launched a premium hot chocolate drink – Chocolate Abyss. And that got us to thinking about the links between the world’s two great beans: cocoa and coffee.

(Sorry, “pinto”, “black-eyed” and “butter” just didn’t get a look-in.) Let’s start with Chocolate Abyss – and an admission that it has absolutely nothing to do with coffee. Except, of course, that it was developed from the cocoa-up, after taste-testing just about every hot chocolate on both sides of the Atlantic..

This choc-a-thon told Espresso Warehouse two important things. Firstly, most hot chocolates are pretty grim, chemical laden concoctions.

Secondly, they knew they could do a lot better – after all, if a customer doesn’t like tea or coffee, you need to offer them a high quality alternative.

Chocolate Cafes – purveying the solid and liquid variations – are big news in the US. Unlike tea bars, they’re enjoying sustained growth, with outlets such as Kschocolat and Chocolate Soup bringing the concept over here. (A bit like pioneering coffee bars in the 1990s.)

There’s definitely a demand – and Espresso Warehouse wanted to meet it, by developing their own hot chocolate.

The first thing customers notice is the way Chocolate Abyss looks – and the “Total Chocolate” aroma. This is one seriously voluptuous drink, made with freshly steamed milk. (Excuse me whilst I dab my forehead.)

So there’s not an ounce of reconstituted milk power in Chocolate Abyss.

But it’s not all froth and promise. The taste and mouth feel are suitably indulgent – this is a thick, velvety, rich and very grown-up drink. Real vanilla (not bitter vanillin…) adds a touch of sweetness, and a counterpoint to the thick, chocolate taste.

That’s down to one thing – their insistence on using 33 percent cocoa solids. Other hot chocolate drinks mask their lower cocoa contents with sugar and flavourings. They simply wanted to create the best
tasting product around.

Although it’s positioned very much as an “adult” drink, it’s also hugely popular with the whole family - and the kids get something a bit more cool (and tasty) than an anonymous carbonated beverage.

This article originally appeared in Fresh 15