The gothic notions of damnation and salvation are so romantic that they really ought to be applied to our evaluation of hot chocolate, which is my specialty and passion. Therefore, with divine inspiration, each evaluated hot chocolate shall be sent - or send itself - to Hell, Purgatory, or Heaven above. Behold now my manifesto: here is how a hot chocolate can attain eternal glory.

Attaining virtue, for hot chocolate at least, implies attaining exquisite taste. I am searching for artistry. Flavors must be cohesive; waltz me from sweet to citrus, but do not drag me across the ballroom. Balance the ingredients such that I see a plethora of shades that unite to form a balanced Renoir or the like. Be selective with your chocolate. It takes the lead role, and not just any demoiselle is fit to play the part. I am searching for a rich and confident chocolate that can seize center stage while allowing other actors to shine. 

Equally so, a hot chocolate must balance its colors on a high quality backdrop. In other words, hot chocolates need angelic textures. Soft silk or smooth velvet, I find, commits little sin and indeed does great work. If a hot chocolate is grainy or poorly mixed, it shall not find pleasant company with me, but I shall quickly send it to Satan, for he loves all forms of cataclysmic disaster.

It may surprise some, but I do not care to judge the aestheticism of the café in which the hot chocolate is served. While ambiance and visual beauty are enthralling experiences, they do not affect a hot chocolate’s character, and we must recognize that some artists are born with greater privilege, able to afford lavish crystal chandeliers from which candlelight falls upon hot chocolate in fine porcelain. To judge based on such superficialities would be unfair. Therefore, craft a hot chocolate that speaks for itself. No amount of bells, whistles, and fiddle faddle can conceal a failure of a soul. 

I am a fallen daughter of Eden and therefore have preferences that cloud my judgment from time to time. While I try to set these aside in order to discover impeccable hot chocolates, in the interests of transparency, I shall disclose what I generally prefer (a peruse of my personal recipes might further enlighten a dear reader). Angelina, the famed Parisian café, made the first hot chocolate that I fell in love with. I like a close cousin of European drinking chocolate: decadent and on the more viscous side. Exciting flavors intrigue me, and I especially enjoy citrus, cinnamon, and cardamom.

I may be a sinner, but I am wise enough and imbued with sufficient curiosity such that any hot chocolate, if executed well, can woo me. I value liberty over perfection: chase every adventurous cocoa, for we have but a short time in this world. 

Perhaps you find my criteria vague; it is in the pursuit of artistic freedom that I have written this page as such. Go forth and create masterpieces that captivate the masses. Saints come from every walk of life. Thus it is the case that any great hot chocolate can be saved, for it becomes its own savior. 

All statements expressed at the House of Hot Chocolate exist as my own sentiments and opinions and are not to be taken otherwise.