With winter here, all you want to do is cozy up with a nice cup of hot chocolate to keep those taste buds dancing and the body warm. But where is the best place in Aspen to get hot cocoa? To find out, I went around town with Sophia Chase, and Lou Lou Buglione on a hot chocolate adventure. I know, it sounds awesome, and it was.

Our first stop: the Little Nell; a hotel located at the bottom of Aspen Mountain. Their hot chocolate is considered to be famous in town, so we went to go try it and see if it lives up to it’s description. With cozy couches, chairs, and a fireplace, it had a very nice, homey feeling.

“It has a very nice ambiance,” Lou Lou Buglione commented. I

t’s definitely a place you would want to go to for a cup of hot chocolate after a long ski day. However, would the hot chocolate be just as good as the atmosphere? Our waitress brought over a hot cocoa with a beautiful display of a white mug, tons of whipped cream, two big marshmallows, all topped with chocolate shavings. Everything was homemade, and freshly prepared. It wasn’t very hot, but I otherwise fell in love with the rich flavoring.

“It’s very full in flavor… it lives up to it’s description,” said Sophia Chase.

The chocolate in the beverage was Valrhona which is made for ice cream and drinks. It has high cocoa content and low sugar. This part of why the drink was so flavorful and rich. Even though the hot chocolate was delicious, I was surprised to see how expensive it cost: $12. This is a very high price for a hot chocolate. Although, if you don’t mind paying, we definitely recommend the Little Nell hot cocoa. Buglione gave it 5 stars, and Chase and I gave it 4.

Little Nell set the bar high, but we continued on our adventure. Starbucks was the next place on our list. Rather than being served, we went up to a counter to order and receive our next hot chocolate of the day. Instead of a mug, it was in a to-go cup. We brought it over to a table. The vibes weren’t as nice as the Little Nell with metal chairs and wood tables, but it was okay. The look of the hot cocoa was lovely; whipped cream and chocolate drizzled over. However, I took one sip, and instantly hated it. It was nice and piping hot, but the taste was watery and fake. The beverage was made with a chocolate powder. I ranked it 1 star, Sophia Chase ranked it 2 stars, as well as Lou Lou Buglione.

The next place to cross off our list was Victoria’s Espresso. It was the same paying and receiving  system as Starbucks. Although they didn’t only have to-go cups, we received ours in one. It was a very nice atmosphere with high and low top tables. The hot chocolate was a different story. It wasn’t terrible, but it still wasn’t very good.

“It seems like after a ski day, I wouldn’t want this because it’s not very cozy and chocolatey, it’s more sophisticated,” said Chase.

We then added cream to cool it down because it was so hot. We tried it again and it tasted a lot better and less bitter. The three of us gave it a 3 star rating.

Paradise was next. It was very fast and cheap. It was given in a to-go cup like Starbucks. They make their hot chocolate with a machine. It was very chocolatey and sweet. “I like it. It’s my favorite,” Sophia Chase said. The aroma was amazing. I thought it was just as good, or better than the Little Nell. Although it was completely different, it was so inexpensive and still tasted great. I rated it 5 stars, and Chase and Buglione gave it 4.

Our next and final hot chocolate to try was the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. We assumed this would be amazing considering it’s from a chocolate store. Our hot chocolate came in a to-go cup as well. Theirs was also made with a machine. It tasted very sweet, maybe even too sweet.

“I think it’s more sugar than chocolate,” Sophia Chase said. We all ranked it 3 stars.

With that, our hot chocolate adventure sadly came to an end. We all agreed that Paradise and Little Nell were our favorite hot cocoas. Two completely different options, but two great ones. Now, we no longer need to skip around places trying to find a nice, warm beverage. We know just where to go, and so do you.