We’re back, Calgary! Or, rather, we were back last week. It’s become a sort of annual tradition to make a February trip down the QE2 to Alberta’s other urban metropolis to partake in their wonderful month-long YYC Hot Chocolate Festival.
In case you’re unfamiliar, the quick backstory:
- YYC is Calgary’s airport code. As a quirk of early Twitter days, Edmonton (where I currently live) adopted the YEG airport code as our communal hashtag root, while Calgary opted for their airport’s YYC as an online identifier. Even now that Twitter is effectively a dystopian wasteland favoured by the kinds of people you hope and pray to never be seated next to on an airplane, the YYC and YEG names have stuck.
- February is typically very, very cold in Alberta. It’s common to see daytime highs of -25 C, with windchill making it feel even icier. So if there’s a month when an Alberta city could use a communal pick-me-up, February would be a good place to start. (Aside: While we were there this year, it was unseasonably warm, with temps in the mid-teens and almost no snow left. So yeah. Calgary weather is like that.)
- Both Edmonton and Calgary have active restaurant and café scenes, with lots of creative, inventive folks plying their trade in a province that’s bizarrely infatuated with mediocre American chains.
- Back in 2011, some brilliant people at Calgary’s Meals on Wheels combined these ingredients — a very online community, a cold winter stretch in need of added joy, creative food industry types, and a sense of community spirit — to create a month-long hot chocolate festival that also acts as a fundraiser for Meals on Wheels.
The festival has grown bigger and broader over the years, with over 150 establishments participating in Calgary and the surrounding areas. Most of the hot chocolates are in and around the downtown, Beltline, Sunnyside/Kensington, Mission, Inglewood, and 17th Avenue areas, so if you’re looking to hit a bunch all at once, those are your go-to spots. But don’t sleep on the places farther afield. There’s lots to taste regardless of the quadrant.
Making a Plan
Hot chocolate is filling, and there’s only so much a person can consume in a day without wanting to pass out on the sofa in a cosiness coma. There are now so many shops participating in the festival that even if you had four hot chocolates a day, you still wouldn’t have tried them all by the end of February. As such, trying to sample them all and declare a best hot chocolate is a fool’s errand.
I find the best way to approach the deliciously daunting task of sampling hot chocolates is to find cafes or areas where you normally go, check them out on the useful YYC Hot Chocolate Festival website (which includes a map), and then prioritize. (There’s also an app, but it’s glitchy.) If you work downtown, maybe focus there? If you live in the burbs, there are options outside the core, too. I would also recommend the approach I took — having the keen assistance of another sampler (my daughter) to split hot chocolates with and discuss their merits or drawbacks.
If you’re vegan, don’t worry. There are plenty of plant-based options. If you’re lactose-intolerant, either stick to the vegan choices, BYO chewable Lactaid tablets, or be ready and willing to accept the tummy-trouble consequences.
Hot Trends in Hot Chocolate
Every year at the festival, trends seem to naturally appear. Last year, Dubai-style hot chocolates — combining chocolate and pistachio — were all the rage. This year, the Dubai trend is still holding on and Biscoff has made multiple appearances, but the hot new thing is using miso for taste and umami twang. While I’m not going to be doing a statistical analysis of everything on offer — not today, pivot-table Satan — quite a few places are using banana and orange flavours in their hot chocolates, while black forest (hot chocolate with cherry) continues to be a reliable offering.
The other trend — if you can call it that — is just how many places are coming up with truly inspired, how-can-this-even-be-a-thing hot chocolates. I tried a few of those this year, as you’ll see in our tasting notes below. Tahini hot chocolate? A Stranger-Things-themed cup finished with a wedge of Eggo waffle? ROOT BEER WHIPPED CREAM? You think you’ve seen it all, but then Calgary’s chefs and baristas throw you a flavour curveball.
The Hot Chocolates
Without further ado, here are the hot chocolates we tried in 2026, in the order we tried them. Below that, I’ll share two different rankings – one from me, and one from my daughter.
1. The Coup – Beet the Cold, $8
While some participants offer dairy-free or lactose-free alternatives, The Coup — a vegetarian restaurant mainstay on 17th Avenue — goes all-in with their beet-infused vegan hot chocolate, which is also one of the more creative drinks we saw this year. Beet the Cold is centred on a dark chocolate and oat milk base, to which The Coup has added beetroot for a rich, sweet, earthy flavour and a stunning red colour — which you can fully appreciate through the for-here glass mug it’s served in. It’s finished with a swirl of coconut whipped cream and a chocolate-dipped beet chip, both of which add to the mix of flavours and textures. Not everyone loves beets, but if you do, this is a standout. The flavours work together in a way you’d never think possible.
2. Hexagon Board Game Café – Rightside Up, $7
I don’t know how or why Hexagon decided to use Stranger Things as a theme for their hot chocolate this year, but as soon as my daughter learned of this hot chocolate’s existence, it vaulted into a top spot on our list of drinks to try. As I’m admittedly oblivious to Stranger Things, my daughter had to explain the references so I could appreciate the effort and backstory that went into the drink.
Because reading is believing, here’s the description from the website, verbatim: “This otherworldly cup begins with steamed milk and rich chocolate sauce infused with salted caramel, recalling late nights, basement hangouts, and small-town mysteries. The rim is kissed with maple syrup and dusted with graham cracker, adding a playful twist to every sip. It’s crowned with toasted marshmallow whipped cream, then pulled between worlds with a red strawberry and blue blueberry compote, a nod to the rift between dimensions. And because no journey through Hawkins is complete without a waffle, it’s finished with a crispy Eggo on top — the final clue that you’ve made it safely back to the Rightside Up.”
I mean, what a concept, right?
The version we got was maybe missing an element or two (there was a blueberry compote, but I didn’t see or taste any strawberry, and the rim wasn’t hit with maple syrup and graham cracker), but it was still excellent. Sweet, rich, fruity and decadent — with a little wedge of Eggo waffle to complete the look. Overall, both cute and tasty.
3. Calgary Zoo – Black Forest Delight Hot Chocolate, $7
It feels like nearly every locally minded café in Calgary is participating in YYC Hot Chocolate Fest this year, so it wasn’t as big a surprise as it could have been when a trip to the Calgary Zoo accidentally turned into a stop on our hot chocolate tour.
The zoo’s Java Café is offering a crowd-pleasing Black Forest hot chocolate, with the cherry chocolate base topped with whipped cream, maraschino cherries, chocolate and a chunk of chocolate brownie. It’s pretty but also something kids should appreciate, which is a nice nod to keeping the festival inclusive for youngsters.
The cherry flavour in the base wasn’t as overt as I assumed it would be, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I have a soft spot for maraschino cherries, but my daughter dislikes them, so I got those all to myself. With the cherries gone, the rest of the hot chocolate tasted like a more standard — but still quite nice — hot chocolate that both parents and kiddos will enjoy. If it had been colder outside instead of freakishly warm, this would have kept my paws nice and toasty while sipping and strolling among the critters.
4. Bono Coffee – Midnight Orange, $9.75 on the festival website
Orange and chocolate are a classic pairing that I love and have written about extensively, but I’ve never been big on candied ginger. And yet, Bono Coffee’s Midnight Orange hot chocolate won me over within a few sips. We got it to go at their Stephen Avenue location, and they rimmed the paper cup with a caramelly syrup before dipping it in bits of chocolate and crystalized ginger. The hot chocolate itself is a mix of chocolate, orange and ginger flavours, with a generous crown of vanilla whipped cream, more ginger and chocolate, and a half-slice of chocolate-dipped candied orange. The whipped cream, toppings, and sweet, caramelly rim start things out with a punch of flavour, then mellow out once you get into the beverage proper. Beautiful presentation, and a wonderful mix of tastes.
A note about the price. The YYC Hot Chocolate Festival Website lists the price as $9.75, but it rings in over $11 in their system. I politely noted the discrepancy, and our server gave it to me for the advertised price. So a kind thank you to her for that.
5. Analog Coffee – Miso Caramel & Houjicha, $9.50 (12 oz)
This entry from Analog Coffee is a curious one. Miso is one of this year’s trends, so we wanted to try at least one of the hot chocolates that incorporated it.
The official description, which notes the drink’s umami character, says the base is made with dark chocolate, maple and Maldon salt, topped with cardamom-infused whipped cream and a drizzle of house-made miso and caramel sauce.
I don’t know what I think of it. The description doesn’t specifically reference the houjicha/hojicha, but it’s in the ingredient list, and I think that’s one of the dominant things I was tasting as I sipped it. The umami is there, for sure, but it has a kind of earthy character that my co-taster initially described as seaweedy. And yet, within a few blinks, she’d nearly polished the thing off. So while it may not have been my cuppa, it will have its fans, for sure.
6. Higher Ground – Root Beer Hot Chocolate, $7 (16 oz)
Last year’s entry from Higher Ground, a Nanaimo Bar Hot Chocolate, was fantastic, so I was eager to try this year’s Root Beer Hot Chocolate. It did not disappoint. Root beer is a bit polarizing — a friend of mine has dismissively cussed it out as puddle water more than once — but I don’t mind it. As they did last year, Higher Ground carried the theme through the whole drink — the chocolate milk base is infused with root beer flavouring of some kind, the whipped cream topping is also root-beer flavoured, and it’s finished with a dusting of crushed root beer candy.
The result is a pleasantly sweet, rich, creamy root beer float that’s warm instead of cold. I liked it more than my co-taster did, but I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.
7. Fenyk Coffee and Social – The Jamaican Bobsled, $6.95.
Calgary is still pretty proud of having hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics — as it should be. One of the fun stories to emerge from the ‘88 games was a narrative around the Jamaican bobsled team, as immortalized in the loosely-based-on-a-true-story film Cool Runnings. While I won’t go into details here (you’ll find lots about it online with a simple search for Jamaican bobsled), a team of bobsledders from a tropical island nation gliding downhill at breakneck speeds on a twisty sheet of solid ice captured the imagination of both locals and the international media.
Since this February’s YYC Hot Chocolate Fest coincides with the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, it was a cute idea to honour the Jamaican bobsled team with a hot chocolate that’s got a chocolate and coconut syrup base, topped with a swirl of banana whipped cream, sweetened toasted coconut, and a dash of sprinkles in the colours of the Jamaican flag. It’s an easy drink to like. It’s not too sweet, the combination of chocolate with coconut and banana is a proven winner, and the toasted coconut flourish adds some crunch to the texture. The multi-level café space was also bustling and fun when I visited. Nice to discover a funky new café through the fest.
8. Deville Coffee – Midnight Banana Reserve, $11 (16 oz, but a 10 oz cup is available for $9)
Deville’s entry this year keeps it simple. Chocolate syrup, banana and imitation (non-alcoholic) rum extracts, steamed milk, and a sprinkling of cinnamon. The banana taste is a bit sharp, to the point of almost tasting like a caricature of banana. Imagine what it would taste like to drink a mug of chocolate-chip banana bread, and you’ll be in the ballpark.
I would have liked this one more if it had whipped cream on top, but maybe that’s just me. On the plus side, Deville has 15 locations participating throughout Calgary, so this one should be easy to find if you want to give it a spin.
9. Community Natural Foods – Miso-Kissed Tahini Hot Cocoa, $6.99
Our final hot chocolate was another wildcard. Tahini, for those unfamiliar, is a paste made with sesame seeds that is used in several types of cuisine, though I associate it with Middle Eastern and North African cooking. Tahini (and sesame more generally) is one of those interesting ingredients that can swing both savoury or sweet. Order a shawarma in Calgary (as ones does) and you’ll likely be offered a smear of tahini in the wrap. On the sweet side, there are Sesame Snaps and Halva or other sesame-based candies. I love sesame, so this hot chocolate was something I had to try.
The drink incorporates maple syrup and tahini into the hot chocolate base, as well as “a hint” of shiro miso for umami reasons. On top, there’s whipped cream and sesame crunch. It’s equal parts unique and delicious, with the sesame flavour very front and centre. There is no mistaking the tahini in the mix. I quite liked it, but it didn’t land with my daughter, as per the rankings below. And speaking of which ..
Our Rankings
Curiously, we saw eye-to-eye on the first three, but the rest were a bit more scattered. Again, your mileage may vary. There are a ton of hot chocolates I would have loved to try if I’d been able to, so this list only represents the ones we sampled.
Iain’s List:
- Beet the Cold (The Coup)
- Rightside Up (Hexagon)
- Midnight Orange (Bono Coffee)
- Root Beer Hot Chocolate (Higher Ground)
- Jamaican Bobsled (Fenyk)
- Miso-Kissed Tahini Hot Cocoa (Community Natural Foods)
- Midnight Banana Reserve (Deville)
- Black Forest Delight Hot Chocolate (Calgary Zoo)
- Miso Caramel & Houjicha (Analog)
Daughter’s List:
- Beet the Cold (The Coup)
- Rightside Up (Hexagon)
- Midnight Orange (Bono Coffee)
- Jamaican Bobsled (Fenyk)
- Miso Caramel & Houjicha (Analog)
- Root Beer Hot Chocolate (Higher Ground)
- Black Forest Delight Hot Chocolate (Calgary Zoo)
- Midnight Banana Reserve (Deville)
- Miso-Kissed Tahini Hot Cocoa (Community Natural Foods)
The Details
Date: The YYC Hot Chocolate Festival runs from February 1 to 28, 2026. So you’ve got a whole month to enjoy the hot chocolate goodness.
Price: Some hot chocolates are fairly cheap, while others are spendy. Expect to pay between $6 to $12 per cup. Varies quite a bit based on the place, how fancy they typically are, and how elaborate the drink is. Don’t forget it’s also a fundraiser for Calgary’s Meals on Wheels, so try not to get too hung up on the price. Also, remember when $6 for a hot chocolate seemed nuts? Sigh. Stupid inflation.
Availability: SO MANY VENDORS. Seriously, check the map on their website if you’re searching for the closest place slinging hot chocolates in your area. Even neighbouring communities like Canmore, Bragg Creek and Okotoks have shops participating.
Nutrition: A whole festival centred around sugar, milk, chocolate and whipping cream? Go easy, fella.
Verdict: Once again, what a delight. A huge thanks to the folks who put this on, and to the cafes and restaurants that participate. This is a gem of a festival, and Calgary is lucky to have it. (Oh! And don’t forget to vote for your faves on the YYC Hot Chocolate Fest website!)
