I don’t have kids, but my friends seem to be reproducing at an alarming rate. Most of the offspring are pretty young, but the first of the pack are nearing the exciting age of two. I think this means that their parents need to bolt down anything remotely breakable, protect all walls and fabrics with some eco-friendly replacement for Scotchguard, and generally prepare themselves for the Terrible Twos.
Can you tell how excited I am for this?
Well, Chocolopolis is turning two next week, and I’m pretty darn excited about that. Aside from being run by the lovely Lauren Adler (self-described Chief Chocophile), it’s a great place for chocolate bars, bonbons and education. It’s an accessible place to start learning about what makes good chocolate, where it comes from and why you should care where it comes from. And with the serious list of events that they’re hosting next week, you have ample opportunity to check out this store—for the first time or the nth time—and learn about great chocolate.
Chocolopolis
1527 Queen Anne Avenue North
Seattle, WA
(206) 282-0776
Chocolopolis anniversary week events
Events at the store are free and open to everyone.
Ongoing throughout the week:
Annual Golden Bar Giveaway
Somewhere on our shelves are three bars with golden tickets hidden inside. Anyone who purchases a bar containing one of the golden tickets will receive a free bar of chocolate every week for a year. Who will be the lucky Charlie this time?
Chocolate Passport
Each day of our anniversary week will feature a different cacao-producing region (Madagascar, Venezuela, etc). Purchase a bar from the region featured each day and earn a stamp in your “chocolate passport” (only one stamp per customer per day). “World travelers” who earn 5 stamps by making purchases on five days will receive a free Chocolopolis tasting bar and a truffle. Collect all 7 passport stamps and receive the bar and a truffle plus free entry to a future Chocolopolis chocolate class or event. Luxury travel minus the jetlag!
Sunday, July 11
11am – 5pm: Chocolopolis at the Chocolate Salon
Be sure to look for the Chocolopolis booth at Seattle’s third annual Luxury Chocolate Salon. Save room for samples of our hand-made truffles and our mendiant bar, a delicious bar topped with dried fruit, nuts & vanilla-infused sea salt. We’ll also be unveiling our talented confectioner’s latest creation. NOTE: Tickets for the Chocolate Salon are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. The Seattle Chocolate Salon is held at the Bell Harbor Conference Center in downtown Seattle. Visit http://www.tastetv.com/sf-seasalon_tix.html to purchase tickets.
Monday, July 12
1pm – 3pm: Hands-on Event for Kids
Everything is better when dipped in chocolate–even your kids! At this fun event our younger customers will get to play chocolatier, dipping a variety of treats into melted chocolate, then enjoying the fruits of their labor. Stop by any time between 1 and 3.
4:30pm – 6:30pm: Meet the Chocolate Maker: Amano Chocolate Tasting
Award-winning bean-to-bar chocolate maker, Amano Chocolate, will be sampling their lineup of single-origin chocolate bars sourced from regions as diverse as Indonesia, Madagascar, and South America. Taste their passion for chocolate yourself.
7pm – 9pm: The Inside Story on the Cacao Trade in Ghana
At this special presentation, Dr. Kristy Leissle will share the inside story of what it’s like to live on a cacao farm in Ghana. Sample chocolate while enjoying videos and photos taken by Dr. Leissle during her visits to Ghana. No reservations are required, but space is limited for this free event, so make sure to be there on time if you’d like to participate.
Tuesday, July 13
1pm – 2pm: 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.
6pm-8pm: 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
1pm – 2pm: 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.
2pm – 5pm: 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.
6pm-8pm: 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
6pm-9pm: 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
6pm – 9pm: 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
11am – 5pm: 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.
6pm – 9pm: 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
3pm – 6pm: 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.
