Hot Chocolate Grows Up at Non's Drinks

It's embarrassing, but I'll admit it: I love hot chocolate. Hot, rich, dark... It's had me since childhood. I crave it, especially on the wet days of winter in Vancouver. Unfortunately, it's become less socially acceptable in recent years to order a cup of the stuff. While friends have moved on to the lattes and espressos of the world, I'm stuck ordering a 5-year-old's favorite (preferably with whipped cream and a cherry on top).

Enter Non's Drinks, a beverage oasis tucked away in the tourist-haven of the Granville Island Public Market. This one man show (Sherif Ahmed is founder, owner, and still chief mixologist) is determined to restore hot chocolate's rightful street cred, by creating drinks made of 100% organic Belgian chocolate, milk, and flavours Nestle forgot all about.

On my tasting menu for the day are the Mexican and the Asian chocolates, though it was hard to choose from the dozen or so hot treats on the board. Both are made with spicy chocolate and milk, with the Mexican tarted up with cinnamon and the Asian with ginger.

Both are chocolatey, spicy, and delicious... even without my usually requisite topping of whipped cream. This is hot chocolate, grown up. Take that, espresso.

Non's Drinks
Food Court
Granville Island Public Market
(604) 685-6790
Open Mondays - Sundays
9 am - 7 pm

Photo from Robin