Drinking chocolate for all hours: Delightful ways to velvetise your day

At Hotel Chocolat, we’ve never been ones to stick to convention. Round here, we believe that creamy drinking chocolate is an indulgence to be enjoyed at any time of day. Sleepy-eyed, pyjama-clad, perhaps still in your slippers? Midway through a meeting marathon and edging towards an afternoon slump? A soothing sip from a Podcup™ is just what you need for a moment’s bliss.

Some like it hot. Others prefer an icy touch. Either way, with the ALL-NEW Velvetiser®, you can savour a quality cacao-rich sip whenever the mood strikes. And in this post, we’re going to show you how.

The ALL-NEW Velvetiser experience

Managed to get your hands on our latest barista-style hot chocolate maker? It’s time to put it to the test. Whether you serve yours hot or cold, morning or night, whipping up a cup in the ALL-NEW Velvetiser is practically effortless. Here’s how to get started:

Strictly cold sips

When only something cold and cacao-rich will do…

1. Pour 220ml of milk (dairy or plant-based) into your Velvetiser. Fill up to the max line.
2. Shake your single-serve sachet, then pour in.
3. Turn the dial to the left (the cold setting) and press to start.
4. After approximately 2.5 minutes, you’ll have a silky-smooth drinking chocolate ready to pour into your Podglass™.

Bonus tip: Pop your glass in the freezer beforehand for an ultra-refreshing serve.

The perfect ‘hot’ pour

Prefer your cacao hot and cloud-soft? This one’s for you.

1. Add your chosen single serve to the Velvetiser with 220ml of pre-chilled milk (or dairy-free alternative).
2. Turn the LED-lit dial right to select hot. It’ll glow red until it’s good to go.
3. Press the button and pause for a moment of anticipation.
4. Wait approximately 2.5 minutes, then pour and take a sip of the signature crema. Divine.

Sips to savour from morning till night

Ready to discover a new recipe for every hour of the day? Try these seriously satisfying ways to velvetise your day.

In the morning…

Drinking chocolate at dawn? Don’t mind if we do. If you’re partial to a cup of cacao in the AM, try these uplifting hot and cold drinking chocolate recipes for the smoothest, silkiest start to your day.

Indulge in drinking chocolate with a caffeine kick

Our blissful Chocolate Mocha Latte blend is the kind of refreshing sip that’ll gently ease you into the day, lifting the sleep from your eyes and leaving you feeling deeply revitalised. Merging rich and intense coffee from our Rabot Estate with high-cocoa chocolate complemented by a creamy edge, this is one morning ritual you’ll definitely want to make time for.

Try a playful twist: If you really want to savour your hot chocolate like ‘un vrai Français’, slide your Podcup™ to one side and serve in a bowl. If soggy pastries aren’t your thing, make like an Italian and swap out soft-baked goods for our Biscotti-style Dunking Biscuits. Crisp and satisfying, they’ll still be going strong after a solid 10-second dunk. 

In the afternoon…

By the time 3pm rolls around, you’ll probably be craving a little pick-me-up. Instead of reaching for something bland and unsatisfying, select one of our soothing drinking chocolate sachets to savour alongside a Better Way Bar — our nutty, crunchy cacao-based snack bar that supports our gentle farming initiatives. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a creamy afternoon cup.

Sip on something cold, bold, and fruity

Craving Iced Chocolate with a tangy twist? Create cold and fruity drinking chocolate with our creamy Banana or zingy Mandarin & Orange sachets. These Velvetiser sachets contain finely milled real chocolate, leaving you with a cold concoction that’s always velvet-smooth. Want something a little lighter than a Better Way Bar to pair with it? Serve your fruity afternoon sip with a single, snappable cold chocolate baton. It’ll be a post-lunch treat that’s a little bit indulgent without being over the top.

In the evening…

When the sun sets and you’re ready to settle down, you may well be seeking a sip with a kick. That’s where our spirits and Velvetised Creams® come in. Try these tipple-infused creations to wind down, deliciously.

Combine cold milk chocolate with a daring dash of cacao gin

Just as it is, without any accoutrements, our mellow Milky 50% drinking chocolate wraps you in a cocoon of comfort and creaminess. What happens when you serve it cold in a Podglass™ with a dash of Cacao Gin thrown into the mix? You get a drinkable indulgent tipple that’s made to be lovingly savoured. Bringing depth and bite from the botanicals, plus layers of velvet-smooth cacao, this is an after-dark experience you won’t want to miss.

Dress up hot vanilla white with decadent espresso martini

Prefer to turn up the heat at nighttime? Melt into the moment with a punchier take on a hot Vanilla-White. Use our Vanilla-White Hot Chocolate to prepare your evening Podcup™, then add a splash or two of our sublimely sippable Espresso Martini Velvetised Cream. Effortlessly merging creamy, buttery cacao, Madagascan vanilla, Vodka, and full-bodied Espresso, this silky smooth blend is a one-way ticket to evening bliss.

Feeling peckish? If, like us, you believe no one’s ever too old for a midnight feast (even if your ‘midnight’ is really 10pm), why not serve your evening sip with a Selector or two? Pair your cold milk chocolate moment with a nutty Trillionaire Shortbread or spice up your hot vanilla cup with an Amaretto truffle. Whether it’s 10pm or truly is past midnight, a side order of extra cacao never goes amiss.

Sip on velvet-smooth drinkable chocolate at any hour

Forget anxiously watching the clock. Moments of cacao-filled joy shouldn’t be limited to morning, noon, or night. Whether you’re an ‘early-morning cup’ kinda person or strictly an evening sipper, our beautifully balanced drinking chocolate is there to be devoured at any time of day.
While you’re here, don’t forget to stock up on flakes and sachets, so you’re ready for a sip of Velvetised bliss whenever the mood takes you.