TEXT AND PHOTOS BY ANGIE LIU
Oh, the weather outside is frightful… and the only thing that will warm up your whole body can exist in a paper cup. During the winter months, hot chocolate is a popular drink choice and widely available at every coffee shop and some restaurants. Whether it comes from a machine, or a powder; whether it is topped with marshmallows or whipped cream, the choices are varied and endless.
For Sheridan students, there are several places on Trafalgar Campus to get a hot chocolate fix. To make this choice easier, here are some reviews of hot chocolate from three vendors on campus to see which option is the best.
Tim Hortons hot chocolate
Ah, Tim Hortons hot chocolate. I’ve held a cup of this in my hands on many winter days spent outdoors at parades, holiday markets, and chilly walks down the street. It’s $1.69 for a small size and easily the cheapest option on this list. Tim Hortons’ hot chocolate comes at the press of a button on a machine behind the counter, which makes me think that it will taste watery, but it’s the opposite—rich and chocolatey. Though the presentation is pretty plain—Tim Hortons doesn’t ask if you want whipped cream, sprinkles, or any other extras—its flavour makes up for that loss.
Price: $1.69 (Small)
Presentation: 2/5
Taste: 4.5/5
Second Cup Candy Cane white hot chocolate
I decided to order the candy cane white hot chocolate from Second Cup because it’s one of the specialty drinks on their winter menu. At $4.98 for a small size, it’s the most expensive on this list. The barista asks if I want my drink topped with whipped cream and red sprinkles, but the whipped cream looks sad and deflated by the time I finally sit down to have a sip. At the first taste of their white hot chocolate, I start choking. This beverage is so sweet it makes me cough, as if I’m drinking equal parts hot milk and sugar. For lovers of white chocolate, this might be the first choice for you, but I couldn’t bear more than a couple sips.
Price: $4.28 (small)
Presentation: 3/5 – before deflation
Taste: 1/5
SSU Coffee Loft
At the Coffee Loft, I order a small hot chocolate for $3.25. A small at the Coffee Loft could easily be a medium at Tim Hortons, so even though the customer pays a little more, they get a bigger size. I was impressed that this was the only vendor on campus that doesn’t get their hot chocolate from a machine. I watched as the barista stirred the hot chocolate powder into the warm milk and then topped off the beverage with whipped cream, and green and red “Christmas sprinkles.” The whipped cream looks better and lasts longer than my drink from Second Cup. It tastes better too. The Coffee Loft hot chocolate tastes a bit watery, but overall not bad. It’s not as rich as Tim Horton’s, and not as sickeningly sweet as Second Cup.
Price: $3.25 (small)
Presentation: 4/5
Taste: 3/5
And the winner is…
Even though it received a low presentation score, I’d have to say that Tim Hortons is the best hot chocolate option at Sheridan College’s Trafalgar Campus. It’s the tastiest option out of the three, and the price is ideal for students. If you really want to level up your hot chocolate, bring your own mini marshmallows to add in. No one will judge you.
