Iced Drinking Chocolate

When we made this drink for both our Isle au Haut cafe (which operated from 2007-2014) and the Blue Hill Sweet Shop (2011-2019), it appeared on the menu as "Iced Hot Chocolate", which is exactly what it is. We cooked large batches of our two signature hot chocolates--Classic Dark, and Spiced Ancho--chilled them down and then poured the cold, thickened beverage over ice. I always thought it was a good literal description of a delicious summer sipper, but it turns out that customers got sort of caught up on the word "hot." 

When we started packaging our cafe hot chocolate mix for sale, we replaced the word "hot" with "drinking", and included our how-to for a batch of our cafe Iced Drinking Chocolate. 

You'll find the recipe below, too. When preparing, make sure you bring the mixture to a boil and then whisk thoroughly to insure that all the chocolate has melted and the mixture has emulsified. This technique is the secret to a silky-smooth iced chocolate beverage. 

Ingredients:

• 1 heaping cup any variety Ragged Coast Drinking Chocolate mix
• 6 cups milk (you can use non dairy milk, just make sure that you use a brand that does not curdle or separate when heated)
• 1/4 cup - 1/2 cup granulated sugar or honey

Method:

1. In a large sauce pan, bring 2 c. milk (or milk substitute) to a near boil.
2. Add the Drinking Chocolate mix and sugar (or honey) and bring to the boil. Whisk the mixture until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
3. Whisk in 4 more cups of milk. 
4. Pour into a 1/2 gallon canning jar (or similar vessel) and chill in the fridge. To serve after chilling, shake vigorously and pour into ice-filled glasses. Top with freshly-whipped cream.

Note: To make a beverage that looks like the photograph, smear a spoonful of our warmed Hot Fudge Sauce around the inside of the glass before adding ice or drinking chocolate.