Four members of The Muse team, Rebecca, James, Emily, and Cale, ventured out into the February cold in hopes of tackling the inaugural St. John’s Hot Chocolate Festival, and we were certainly pleased (and happily full)!
Unfortunately, we missed a couple of participants as storefronts were closed or they were simply sold out. In total, we managed to snag 14 out of the 19 innovative hot chocolates that were offered for the festival in support of the NL Queer Research Initiative.
The Grounds Cafe – “Earl Grey Hot Chocolate with Orange Blossom & Honey Whipped Cream” 5 out of 5 stars. (★★★★★) | Winner: Best Hot Chocolate 2026.
This hot chocolate embodied comfort right from the first glance. The beautiful combination of fresh Earl Grey and orange blossom notes reminded me of Terry’s chocolate orange, a staple comfort food for me. The presentation was stunning and not messy. The addition of Earl Grey was innovative, making it the perfect beverage for a winter day. I will be the first person in line once this hot chocolate is (hopefully) brought to The Grounds menu for good! I would order this over a regular hot chocolate any day.
Craig’s Cookies – “Craig’s Specialty Hot Chocolate” 2 out of 5 stars. (★★)
This one did not live up to my expectations, and frankly, tasted like chocolate-flavoured water. The marshmallow on top was thick and difficult to break through. Love your cookies, though, Craig.
Bagel Cafe – “Strawberry Dream” 2.5 out of 5 stars. (★★½)
This was one of the hot chocolates I was looking forward to from the beginning. I am an absolute sucker for chocolate-dipped strawberries, which this drink featured. When the hot chocolate was brought to our table, I was initially in awe. The drink also featured two different whipped creams: chocolate and vanilla, and some strawberry and chocolate syrup.
I wasn’t expecting mountains of toppings ignited with sweetness, though it would have been perfect for others who have a bigger sweet tooth than me. Overall, the drink was too much for me, and the presentation was a little messy. I’d rather stick with a regular hot chocolate than this drink, but I would surely take a second or third chocolate-dipped strawberry on the side!
Poyo + The Sprout – “Cosmic Caramel Hot Chocolate” 4.5 out of 5 stars. (★★★★½)
In my opinion, this drink was one of the more innovative hot chocolates featured in the battle because of its ingredients. The drink consisted of an unexpectedly delicious blend of blue spirulina, plant milk, and organic mushrooms that made me fall in love. The presentation was absolutely gorgeous, and the toppings made a fun and tasty decoration. For me, this specialty hot chocolate would certainly be ordered over a regular hot chocolate.
The Battery Cafe – “Spiced Coconut Hot Chocolate” 4.5 out of 5 stars. (★★★★½) | Runner up: Best-selling Hot Chocolate 2026.
My personal favourite; this drink was smooth, rich in flavour and left me with a feel-good memory. With a magnificent base blend of chocolate, coconut and aromatic island spices topped with toasted coconut flakes, the flavour was abundant without being heavy or overpowering. If you’re often caught between sweet and savoury, this one’s for you. Fingers crossed it sticks on the menu—I’d be back for this in a heartbeat!
Toslow – “Toslow’s Campfire Cocoa” 3.5 out of 5 stars. (★★★½)
Much like its name suggests, this one packed a cozy afternoon by the campfire in a cup. The base of the chocolate blend was a toffee-like organic coconut sugar infused with vanilla and a Chinese black tea smoked over wood, topped with graham cracker crumbs and Newfoundland Smoked Juniper Sea Salt. The flavour was compact but fell apart deliciously on the tongue. You could try discerning all of them in each sip, but you may find more where they came from.
The Candy Corner – “Cotton Candy Hot Chocolate” 3 out of 5 stars. (★★★)
I was afraid of this hot chocolate; it looked way too sweet for me, but I was pleasantly surprised! Where a lot of the other hot chocolates border on a completely different beverage, this one is classic pure cocoa with some cotton candy, a peep marshmallow, sprinkles and a candy kabob on top. The peep was excellent, the sour candy was not. As I drank, it got worse as the candies melted into a gelatinous goo. This hot chocolate has the benefit of being a fantastic price for the number of pieces you get!
The Newfoundland Chocolate Company – “Winter Sunset” 4 out of 5 stars. (★★★★)
This one is a beautiful hot chocolate with a really rich dark caramel syrup and small sprinkles of a sweeter caramel. The hints of orange struck a great balance of the flavours. However, it is odd that the Newfoundland Chocolate Company did not go for a chocolate-heavy drink. Maybe they thought it would be too easy? Unfair competition, perhaps? I like this drink, but as a chocolate-head, I’d prefer one of their regular hot chocolates.
Rocket Bakery – “The Sweet Heat Rocket Blaster” 1 out of 5 stars. (★)
I respect the courage behind the decision to put hot sauce in a hot chocolate with almond milk (as creativity is part of the competition), but I would hope this was tasted before being put on the menu. “Packs a taste shockwave” is certainly an accurate description. Courtesy star for the cookie on top!
Coffee Matters – “Spiced Caramel Hot Chocolate” 2.5 out of 5 stars (★★½)
For the cinnamon lovers out there, this hot chocolate is for you, but there is certainly no “hint” of cinnamon and chilli powder in this hot chocolate. While the flavour was good, it could have been more subtle because it was, quite frankly, overwhelming.
Homage Brew and Bake – “Dubai Hot Chocolate” 5 out of 5 stars (★★★★★)
This is by far the best hot chocolate I have ever had the pleasure of putting to my lips. The nutty additions of the tahini and pistachios packed this cup with delicious but subtle flavours that left me wanting to order a dozen more. There also seemed to be a hint of coconut in there as well, and being topped with kataifi, the different flavours complemented each other marvellously. While it isn’t your typical, traditional hot chocolate taste, I don’t care and neither should you. If Homage still has this on their menu, drop what you’re doing right now and go get one.
Terre Cafe – “Alder Hot Chocolate”3.5 out of 5 stars (★★★½)
Likely the most traditionally flavoured hot chocolate on this list, Terre’s Alder Hot Chocolate is rich, dark, and lightly salted. The flavours work well together to create a perfect remedy for these cold February nights, but perhaps it was a little too simple compared to the other experimental contenders on this list.
Boreal Cafe – “Hazelnut Hot Chocolate” 3 out of 5 stars (★★★) | Runner up: Best Hot Chocolate 2026
The flavour was great, amazing even, but it just wasn’t close enough to an actual hot chocolate for me. This tasted more like a warm vanilla milkshake, and if I’d been blindfolded, I would have thought as much. If that’s what you’re looking for, then by all means go for it, but it’s debatable whether or not you can even call this a hot chocolate.
Theatre Hill Bar + Cafe – “Orange White Hot Chocolate” 4 out of 5 stars (★★★★)
If an Orange Creamsicle and a hot chocolate combined for the perfect treat, this is what you’d get. This drink is sweet and creamy while maintaining a nice white chocolaty taste. It’s impressive how the flavours are bold, yet they don’t compromise the classic hot chocolate taste underneath. Personally, I’m not much of a sweet tooth, hence the four stars, but if that’s what you’re looking for, then this could very well be a five.
We hope to see this festival again next year! Don’t forget to check out the NL Queer Research Initiative, as this fundraiser helps make 2SLGBTQ+ history and research accessible in NL.
