Recently in chocolate Category

Let it never be said that New York City is not a fine tuned instrument.  The flow of traffic on the streets, the sidewalks filled with people and the intricate sounds of the city make this a place to sit back and enjoy.  From the fifth floor of the Soho Grand Hotel, I watch the intersection of Canal St., 6th Ave and Avenue of The Americas.  A huge banner for the new Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn movie Four Christmases is staring at me as well as the trash piled on the roof of the karaoke bar below.  The traffic is moving at a steady clip, but not without the constant sound of honking cab horns, squealing brakes and bus engines.

I'm enjoying my time here in Soho. Yesterday evening I strolled the streets around the hotel.  I read restaurant menus, witnessed the parallel parking of a stunning Ferrari and watched people dancing just outside the doors of a very loud bar. Several of the boutiques were still open and I took time to gaze in the windows of some stunning art galleries. My favorite stop was Kee's Chocolates.  Although it was late, Kee was still in her shop selling the last of her chocolate inventory for the day.  I bought a box of 8 hand-made chocolates and I can truly say, without a doubt, that I know why Kee's was voted the Best Chocolates in New York.  Heaven on earth!

 

Let me briefly comment on the fashion treads I've seen here in NYC.  Boots are a staple as well as pashmina scarfs.  The weather is cool and both woman and men are wearing beautiful scarves draped around their necks.  Large handbags seem to be the norm with black or brown being the standard colors.  I'm sure I will be witnessing some stunning outfits tonight at GMHC's Fashion Forward 2008 Fundraiser. 

I have plans to meet Jack Mackenroth at Starbucks in a few hours and have discovered that by cab ride from Soho to his neighborhood will be quite long.  My plan today is to hit 5th Avenue and try to find some comfortable boots since my feet are killing me!  

 

Chocolate; a pleasure that many of us would like to take in through an intravenous drip.  Mara Krausz, of Cabaret Brewed Chocolate, enlightened me on this new beverage that has almost no fat and only 24 calories a teaspoon. She certainly didn't have to twist my arm to try a chocolate drink to replace my morning cup of coffee.

Mara, can you share a little bit about your business and how you got started?

Brewed Chocolate is the creation and inspiration of Rob Polevoi.  He very much wanted to create a product that would be of positive benefit to people; that would reveal the natural flavor of the cocoa bean, its pleasing psychic effects and its health benefits.

Rob and I, along with a third partner, initially founded the company in 2003.  We produced a fine bon-bon, the Cabaret Dessert Chocolate, which had a very rich, unique filling.  After a few years, one partner went off to do chocolate manufacture and Rob continued to work to develop a completely new way to present chocolate.  Something that would harken back to the original benefits and origin of chocolate.  We experimented for almost three years and the result was Brewed Chocolate; healthy, light and delicate, nearly no fat/low calorie, and highlights the positive effects of the cocoa bean e.g. mood elevation, clear energy lift, calmness.  A true alternative, adult beverage.

Where do you draw inspiration for your product?

We had discovered from historical sources that the ancient Mexicans seemed to value chocolate even more for how it made them feel than for how it tasted. They often referred to chocolate as a kind of a wine. They definitely didn't conceive of it as a dessert or as a sweet confectionary. Only the aristocracy drank it and it was drunk very much like wine is drunk.  This was all very striking - how it affected their mood and their emotional state.  We all know that chocolate does make people feel good, but the idea here was to say, how can we take all of the best things out of chocolate from an emotional and physical health standpoint and allow chocolate to be presented as a basic beverage - an alternative to coffee, to tea, or even to wine, for a modern lifestyle.

What products have been your best sellers?

We just launched Brewed Chocolate earlier this year, so the product is still in its infancy.  

What are your future plans for Caberet Brewed Chocolate?

We would like to come out with a chilled version, offered as a pre-made, single serving bottle for people on the go.  We also would like to introduce flavors, sophisticated ones that would compliment and highlight the natural flavor of the cocoa bean.  And, of course, to continue our efforts to promote Brewed Chocolate as a healthy beverage alternative that can bring a positive benefit to people's daily life. 

Visit www.brewedchocolate.com.  Oakland, California