Frozen hot chocolate has made its fortune by being confusing. It’s not hot, and it’s not frozen (not frozen solid, anyway). It’s slushy (there’s a difference—ask Elsa), and it’s much like other slushy drinks except that presumably it began as hot chocolate and got frozen somewhere along the line. Except it didn’t.
What is it, after all, but hot chocolate fixings, blended with milk and ice? Well, it’s not only delicious (icier than a milkshake, richer than a slushie), but it’s the brain(freeze)child of Serendipity in Manhattan, which doesn’t want anyone else calling it “Frozen Hot Chocolate.” They forced Dunkin’ Donuts to remove their imposter from the market several years ago. On top of the millions they make from it at their Upper East Side digs, they now earn millions more from the mix, a hack-proof blend of 14 cocoas.
If you’re headed for Serendipity, be prepared for a very non-serendipitous hours-long wait. I am a huge fan of the frozen hot chocolate at Jacques Torres, which now has an outpost in Grand Central Terminal—the orange-flavored one in particular, but you can’t go wrong with chili-laced Wicked, peanut butter, or classic. But you don’t have to hop on the Metro-North to sip this icy icon. Here are four places to find it here (and shhh—they’re all called “frozen hot chocolate”).
At Tazza Café (Armonk, Millwood, Somers, and Ridgefield, Connecticut), the frozen hot chocolate is the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. It’s made with milk chocolate powder, skim or soymilk, whipped cream, and crushed ice, and you can order it with a shot of espresso as a Frozen Cocoa Blast. A raft of other frozen drinks awaits, including frozen lattes and green tea smoothies.
Blue Tulip (Rye), one of our best chocolatiers (Best of Westchester 2013), makes a much lighter and less-sweet version of the rich Belgian hot chocolate they serve in winter (which is made with Valrhona and Belcolade chocolate).
Chocolations (Mamaroneck) doesn’t let its “sipping chocolate machine,” which churns out a thick, rich beverage, gather dust during the summer months.
Peekskill Coffee House makes not only frozen hot chocolate but also many other icy beverage blends (coffee frappés, fruit smoothies). It’s a great place to hang out any time of year, with its artsy upstate vibe, delicious crêpes, and happening trivia nights.
