The weather outside is…well, not so frightful just yet. But, the holiday flavored hot cocoa in Marblehead is so delightful, and there’s simply two places to go to for this winter time treat. Java Sun and Blue Canoe are the places to go to grab a warm liquid treat this winter, and they will have you caroling all the way downtown.
For this festive edition of A Taste of Marblehead, I didn’t want to try just any old hot chocolate. I needed a little more holiday joy and spirit in mine. So I decided to try some peppermint flavored cocoa from each shop. As I’ve stated numerous times, I love my iced coffee during the winter, but there is just something about that warm taste of hot chocolate that just makes you feel good during the holidays. Tasting the hot cocoa from Java Sun and Blue Canoe made me want to kick back and relax with some holiday tunes while the yule log runs on my tv. Here is what each shop brought to the table in terms of holiday chocolatey goodness.
Java Sun
I am a huge fan of the peppermint-chocolate combo, so I really enjoyed my hot beverage from Java Sun. Each sip was like its own roller coaster, starting out at the top with the flavor of peppermint bursting into your taste buds, and then coming down with the milk-chocolate taste to finish. If you are looking for a little caffeine in your cup, no problem. The peppermint option is not bound to just hot cocoa, you can get it as a flavor swirl in a hot or iced cup of joe.
Blue Canoe
This cup of hot chocolate took the opposite approach to the chocolate and peppermint mixture. The peppermint played a bigger role in the flavor, but still kept the richness of the chocolate intact. It was almost like a melted down candy cane that had chocolate poured over it, and it tasted just as good as that sounds. Like Java Sun, the peppermint knows no bounds and can easily be swirled into your hot or iced caffeinated beverage.
Caffeine or hot chocolate, peppermint is a classic for the holiday season, and although its easy to brew your own coffee or hot cocoa at home, nothing is better than grabbing a cup from your local coffee shops and taking a stroll around town during all the festivities of the holiday season in Marblehead.