Liquid Assets

GISELLE WEYBRECHT has sought out the world’s best hot chocolate at 450 venues in 55 countries. This is her story.

- Giselle Weybrecht

I remember every detail of my abuela’s hot chocolate. The way she made it with fresh ginger, using local dark chocolate, and served it in a particular blue mug. The memory of sitting there in the Dominican Republic, the breeze coming off the sea, surrounded by the voices of the strong women in my family, is something I will cherish forever.

From those beginnings, hot chocolate has grown to be something of a fascination for me, and over the past five years I’ve been seeking out the best hot chocolate and keeping a diary of my travels online at ultimatehotchocolate.com.

Why hot chocolate? Each has a story to tell about the origin of the chocolate used and who the maker was. At Soma in Toronto or CacaoDada in Seoul you can taste single-origin hot chocolates while watching them craft chocolate from bean to bar. You can sprinkle in spices or herbs depending on your mood and location, liquorice in Helsinki, rosewater with camel milk in Dubai or cardamom in London. In Columbia it’s served with a piece of oozy cheese; in New York, a homemade marshmallow. I’ve had hot chocolate with cream infused with lavender in France, and even topped with cotton candy.