Happy birthday Chocolopolis! On Sunday, July 11 the Upper Queen Anne artisan chocolate shop kicked off a week-long second anniversary celebration, filled with free tastings and fun special events for community members and patrons.
And there are still plenty of chances to partake in the chocolaty fun at Chocolopolis this week. Check out the schedule here:
Tuesday, July 13
- 1-2 p.m. – Tasting for Moms: Calling all moms! Chocolopolis would like to thank you for all you do. If you have 15 free minutes, stop by today for a complimentary guided tasting of 3 chocolates, offered at 1:00, 1:15, 1:30, and 1:45.
- 6-8 p.m. – Meet the Chocolate Maker: Claudio Corallo Chocolate Tasting: From his base on the island of Sao Tome off the west coast of Africa, Claudio Corallo grows heirloom cacao and crafts it into a range of outstanding products. Enjoy samples of Corallo’s unconched chocolate as Claudio’s representative, Marie-Françoise, shares the story of this fascinating artisan.
Wednesday, July 14 – Bastille Day
- 1-2 p.m. – Book Reading for Kids: Our mouth-watering story hour will feature a dramatic reading of Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory. Curious George introduces kids ages 4-8 to the joys of monkeying around with chocolate. Kid-friendly chocolate samples will be provided during the reading.
- 2-5 p.m. – French Chocolate Tasting: Celebrate Bastille Day in an appropriately delicious way. Throughout the day we’ll be screening a video on lauded French chocolate maker Michel Cluizel (in both French and English). While watching, enjoy samples of rich, creamy chocolate from a variety of French makers. Feel free to BYOB (bring your own baguette) and improvise a celebratory pain au chocolat.
- 6-8 p.m. – Meet the Chocolate Maker: Pralus Chocolate Tasting: Later in the evening we’ll narrow our focus to master chocolate maker François Pralus. A company representative will share the story of the venerable François Pralus and his ongoing quest for perfection. Put the story into context with samples from Pralus’ vast range of smooth, intense chocolate bars.
Thursday, July 15
- 6-9 p.m. – Customer Appreciation Party: Enjoy cheese, crackers and chocolate, and enter a drawing to win a visit to our “Chocolate Surplus Room”. As a special treat, sample our mysterious, luxurious Egg Cream soda –a delicious chocolate drink that contains neither eggs nor cream — expertly made by a genuine soda jerk from Brooklyn.
Friday, July 16
- 6-9 p.m. – Chocolate That’s Good for the Cacao Farmer: Taste chocolate by chocolate makers who purchase cacao directly from the farmer. A delicious way to learn a bit about Fair Trade certified, direct trade and profit-sharing programs that benefit the farmers and result in better-quality cacao (and tastier chocolate!).
Saturday, July 17
- 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. – Frozen Chocolate Tasting: Beat the heat (fingers crossed!) with samples of our frozen drinking chocolate. And if you’re feeling lucky, join the search for any Golden Tickets that remain.
- 6-9 p.m. – Guess-the-Ganache Challenge: Take the truffle challenge and put your taste buds to the test! Step up and see if you can distinguish the origin of the chocolates used in three of our single-origin truffles in a blind tasting. Enter your answers on a ballot to be eligible to win a box of truffles.
Sunday, July 18
- 3-6 p.m. – Meet the Chocolate Maker: Theo Chocolate Tasting: Learn more about Seattle’s very own bean-to-bar artisan chocolate maker as a representative from Theo Chocolate shares the lowdown on their production process. Sample Theo chocolate and ask any questions about Theo’s products and progressive trade policies.
Go forth and enjoy chocolate!