Anyone who has been at Middlebury College longer than a few months knows there is a time when each of us needs saving. It may catch you in putting on a second pair of socks, in the nights walking alone across Battell Beach in a bitter wind, or maybe after six hours in the library, when you realize Midd Express is not open for coffee at 2:30 a.m. Next time you are assaulted, get out of your carrel and save yourself in a cup of something with the strange power to make a home of wherever you are: hot chocolate. Middlebury has a wide array of hot chocolate choices, and each one has a unique flavor and taste that is sure to brighten and “warm” anyone’s day.
Walking into town from campus, the most immediate oasis is found at Sama’s Café (also known as Middlebury Market), sandwiched between the flower shop and the German House. Walk up to the register and order a hot chocolate and you will receive a steaming, hand-warming cup of sweetness. Temperature-wise, it’s the hottest mug in Middlebury, made with Hershey’s syrup and steamed milk. A sip immediately recalls the familiar childhood warmth of campfires and s’mores, complete with the option of marshmallow-reminiscent whipped cream. Enjoy it by the woodstove, or on the outside staircase, though in the winter gloves are recommended.
Continuing on to the center of town, Otter Creek Bakery offers the next source of relief. If you can make it past the glass case of assorted pastries, tarts and cakes to successfully purchase the desired hot chocolate, you will find it to be slightly less sweet than that of Sama’s, but still a committed member of the milk-chocolate party. Its flavor is mellow and consistent, with notes of comforting malt and a sprinkle of cocoa powder, like a bag of Whoppers in liquid form.
Just before crossing the bridge, turn left and descend the staircase to find Middlebury Chocolates, next to Frog Alley Tattoo and Leatherworks. Here, you are given the choice of three distinct beverages, and it is important to select your chocolate drink wisely. If you’re seeking familiarity, or don’t have much experience with dark chocolate, begin your odyssey with the Hot Sipping Chocolate. Served in unassuming white ceramic, the sipping chocolate looks like any especially thick hot chocolate you may have encountered in the past. But, upon first whiff, you will realize that something very untraditional is going on. Upon first sip, your senses will confirm: the chocolate’s sweetness is purely incidental to its depths of flavor, lingering and softening on the tongue, maple-like. The cocoa is reinforced by spices carefully chosen to complement its natural toastiness, including nutmeg, ceylon, allspice and cardamom. The texture is smooth and the different flavors evolve between and within each taste. It is a hot chocolate best enjoyed when savored.
On the other hand, the Spiced Sipping Chocolate, its sister drink, not only deserves but demands savoring. Unlike many spiced chocolate products, its flavor escapes the trap of being chocolate-with-spices; instead, the flavor of the cocoa beans comes through the spice. Made with a blend of Peruvian Peppers, the taste is immediately and surprisingly fruity. Pay close attention and you may discover a note of starfruit or pomegranate before the drink darkens to finish in the low burn of pepper.
The final beverage option at Middlebury Chocolates is the Warm Cacao. Though it is topped with the same fresh whipped cream as the other two, it also boasts a generous sprinkling of roasted cacao nibs. To taste the liquid itself, the combination of these two initial layers is unavoidable, and fortunately so; the textural variance underscores the soft depth of the chocolate, and counterpoints its pleasant bitterness. It is darker, richer and less sweet than the Sipping Chocolates. It is a hot chocolate that asks for attention, seeming to request the drinker to indulge while “sitting on the couch and watching the snow fall for hours,” as owner Stephanie Jackson offers.
The final hot chocolate experience in the Town of Middlebury is that of Carol’s Hungry Mind Café. It is everything your mind thinks of when it hears the words hot chocolate: sweet, hot, a trace of vanilla in the end note and served under a cloud of prettily whipped cream. It is light, playful and tastes like Christmas evening in a picturesque blue cup.
Any of these drinks will provide a much-needed relief from campus life. Perhaps you will find the steps not looking quite so treacherous, and begin to notice the way the frost glimmers around the lampposts at night. Vermont is a beauty in the winter, after all.
Hot chocolate tester explores Middlebury's beverage options
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