When travelling through the spiffy new Jet Blue Terminal #5 at JFK this week, it was satisfying to see Lake Champlain Chocolates at every Cibo Express outlet.    As a long time business traveler (for those of you out there thinking business travel is all fun & games & glamorous, think again) – it is so refreshing to have an airport terminal where there are so many fresh, healthy food choices.  

JFK’s Terminal 5 offers an impressive array of choices including natural, organic, and gourmet selections.  Right up my alley as a chocolate fanatic and foodie who needs to supplement my diet with healthy options to counter-balance the nearly 36 pounds of chocolate I eat annually!!

Travelers at JFK aren’t the only lucky ones.   O’Hare, Orlando, Logan, LaGuardia, and Reagan National also have CIBO locations that feature not only LCC but fresh fruits, salads, and sandwiches!  Yum! 

Who says you can’t be healthy while on the road?

A big chunk of our summer each year is spent putting together our year round and holiday catalogs.  So while most of you are heading off to the beach, summer camp, or hiking in the mountains, we are taking photos of chocolate.  Chocolate in boxes, chocolate on a plate, chocolate in a bowl, chocolate santas, chocolate turkeys.   You get the idea, we’re taking a lot of pictures of chocolate.

We painstakingly pick the most perfect truffles we can find, arrange the ribbon on the box just so, and choose the right surface, all to make the chocolates look so delicious they practically jump off the page.

In just another month or so you will see in your mailbox the result of our hard work.  Some of the beauties that really stood out this year include a stack of chocolate bark.  Bark doesn’t always get the attention it deserves, but we’re about to change that.  If this photo of bark doesn’t make you want to try some, well then, I guess bark isn’t for you.

Another shot I found quite stunning is our cover, featuring two new caramels, in addition to our Sea Salt Caramels.  You’ll have to wait just another month to hear what those two new caramels are and to see our new cover….

Then there are the gift baskets, always the most challenging.  I don’t know how our packagers manage to arrange the products so perfectly in those baskets each and every time.  What I do know is that we are constantly adjusting when it comes to the baskets- the Selection box sits up too high, the Five Star Bar sits too low, that ribbon looks odd- really, we could spend all day tweaking, but in the end we always manage to get a shot everyone is happy with.

Finally, I’m pleased with our wedding favor photo.   With two new favor boxes and lots of new ribbon colors, we were able to capture the elegance and simplicity of our chocolate favors while also showing all of our fabulous new options. 

Enjoy the photos, knowing more will be showing up in your mailbox very soon!

If you're a soon-to-be bride, you know that getting married is not just as simple as walking down the aisle.  There are details...and lots of them!  And not a single one of them seems unimportant.

Besides setting a date and choosing a venue, what's often at the top of the to-do list?  Picking a color scheme.  Why?  Because not only does it show off your personal sense of style, but it affects everything else from the bridesmaid dresses, to the invitations, flowers, programs, and yes, even the favors.

So with color schemes in mind, we're excited to have recently added a ton of new ribbon options to our most popular wedding favor - the Custom Engraved Favor Box.  There are now 20 different ribbons for you to choose from & coordinate with your big day - from classic colors such as ivory, black, navy, and brown to those that will make a bolder statement - such as turquoise, purple, raspberry, and orange.  We even have chartreuse!

And because we know brides love options, we're now offering two different box designs - a simple yet elegant White Favor Box or, if you want something a little more fun, go for the box with the Cocoa Pod Design printed on it.

With each box, you can choose your favorite chocolates to tuck inside, including gourmet truffles, chocolate hearts, or Chocolates of Vermont.   You can also make your event extra special by adding an engraved message to the top of your chocolate wedding favors.

Happy Choosing!

P.S. Don't forget to enter the Say Something Sweet Contest we're running with our friends over at WeddingWire.com!  There are just a few days left to enter.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, we Vermonters love our beer.  (Ok, and our cheese, maple syrup, chocolate and apples, too).  We’re just a group of proud foodies and we love sharing our products with others.  While I’m bragging, let’s talk about Otter Creek Brewery.

Wolaver's Organic Beer is not only brewed by Otter Creek right in our backyard, it’s one of the few organic microbreweries in the area.  They’re highly acclaimed in the world of organics, and most importantly, all of their beers are completely yummy.

It only made sense that we go for an all-organic pairing of both beer and chocolate.  We selected the Organic Oatmeal Stout and our Organic Ethiopian Coffee Truffle, and it turned out to be a favorite of the four pairings at Brewfest.

This dark and opaque beer is typically a dessert beer, with rich, sweet flavor undertones like coffee and chocolate.  A sip of the stout and a nibble of the truffle created a marriage that was described by one person as “like a chocolate mocha milkshake”.  Mmm…

Well, that about sums up our Chocolate and Beer Pairings for this year.  Don’t worry, we’re already brainstorming delicious combinations for next year’s Brew Fest and can’t wait to share them with you.

It felt more like New York or LA this past Sunday afternoon on the Church Street Marketplace and I was part of the paparazzi with my camera.    Passers-by were curious what was going on as a crowd developed on the street.  Some commented “is that the line for ice cream?” (thankfully, it wasn’t!)   After an amazing concert the night before on the waterfront where the Vermont night sky was rivaled only by Grace and her band’s energetic performance, Grace graciously came to our retail store for a last minute signing for her loyal fans.

A rally of 800 motorcycles cruised up the street while the lineup of fans anticipated Grace Potter’s arrival from Leunig’s.  Some came more than an hour early to be the first in line to get an autograph.

Grace’s proud Dad, Sparky, was there grinning from ear to ear capturing the event on film while sporting a St. Lawrence University baseball cap. 

A group of St. Lawrence gals came by with student IDs for Grace to sign. 

Another group sported snappy sandals that caught the eye of Grace (they were heading to Sweet Lady Jane’s next!).  

Many fans brought old concert posters, ticket stubs, and t-shirts to be signed while others bought a Grace Under Fire Chocolate Bar or the latest CD as a souvenir. 

All were eager to create their own memorabilia by capturing a photo with Grace including our own, Gary Coffey and Fran Tobin!

Thanks to Grace and Matt for making a sweet stop at LCC with their families on their very busy weekend in Vermont –we’re very fortunate to have such down-to-earth, fun local celebrities!

Check out our facebook page for more pictures!

Vermont may be called the Green Mountain State, but we Vermonters are very proud of our lake as well!  Just look at the name of our chocolate company!  Lake Champlain is our state’s western border, it’s rich in recreation, culture and history, and is a huge part of our economy.  And the sunsets over the Adirondaks?  Breathtaking.   

Last year marked the 400th anniversary of our region’s discovery by French explorer Samuel de Champlain.  The Quadricentennial Celebration was a huge success and this year’s Lake Champlain Maritime Festival will be better than ever. 

A proud first-time sponsor of the event, Lake Champlain Chocolates is even more excited because our friends Grace Potter & The Nocturnals are one of the performers.  We’ll be there selling the new, limited edition Grace Under Fire bar and of course, our incredible ice cream!

The four-day event takes place August 12th through 15th on Burlington’s Waterfront.  Highlights include a Vintage Boat Show, Shoreline Cruises on the Spirit of Ethan Allen, tons of local food and some great shows each night with MGMT, Gov’t Mule, Dark Star Orchestra and as mentioned above, our friend Grace Potter! Stop by if you’re in Burlington, learn a bit about this amazing lake of ours, and don’t forget to cool off with some Lake Champlain Chocolates ice cream! 

In honor of National S'mores day, this past Sunday we decided to take our own twist on the traditional campfire treat.  Surprisingly this was my first s'mores event of the summer season - I think it’s just been too hot to even think about building a fire lately.

In keeping with the localvore/organic food movement, I choose our Milk Sea Salt and Almond and Dark Spicy Aztec organic squares.  I also threw in a few of our Signature Milk and Dark Chocolate Coins for the less adventurous in the crowd
(read: under the age of 4).

I was given the tip to try some local crackers called Castleton Crackers, made just down the road from us.  I was a bit skeptical, crackers for s'mores?  You need graham crackers for s'mores, everyone knows that.  Boy was I wrong.  These were amazing.  I'll say it again, amazing.  Like our chocolates, Castleton Crackers are made in Vermont, are all-natural and made by hand.  They come in five different flavors, but the maple glazed ones were the obvious choice for s’mores.

For the marshmallows, we have a fabulous recipe for homemade marshmallows.  I’ll admit, even though this recipe is easy and quick, I just didn’t have time to pull it off, but if you want a true localvore, all-natural s’mores experience, this is the way to go.

So now we’re ready.  With sticks in hand, the roasting began. 

We laid the chocolate on or near the fire to move along the melting process.

Everyone tried each flavor- or at least the adults in the crowd did- and I believe it was a tie between the Spicy Aztec and the Sea Salt and Almond squares.   The cayenne, cinnamon and pumpkin seed flavors of the Spicy Aztec and the sea salt and almonds both paired perfectly with the sweet melted marshmallows; and the crackers, with just a touch of maple, provided a satisfying crunch (crunchier than graham crackers and with more flavor,  which we all liked). 

 
As an aside, we did do a little research in the LCC kitchen last week (another perk of working here, you can make s’mores and call it “research”) and Grace Under Fire was another popular choice.  Of course with a name like that, how could you not make a s’more with it?!  Like the Spicy Aztec, the heat was a nice counter to the sweet marshmallow.

I have to say, the combination of sharp sticks, fire, sticky marshmallows and melting chocolate with 10 people ranging in age from 1 to 92, things can get a little chaotic, not to mention messy. But that’s the nature of making s'mores.

So this year, try a different chocolate, a different cracker or make your own marshmallows, you might be surprised at what delicious combinations you’ll discover!

 It’s pretty cool when you’re from the same state as a famous rock star.  It’s even cooler when she wants to come hang out and create her very own chocolate bar. 

If you haven’t heard of Grace Potter & The Nocturnals yet – you can check them out here. here or here.  They’re from our own backyard and we were thrilled when they approached us to help produce a limited edition chocolate bar with their name on it. 

We were so pleased with the final product, that we knew we needed to include it in this year’s Brewfest pairings.  So we paired Magic Hat’s Blind Faith (ABV: 6.2%) with our Grace Under Fire Bar.  Unlike most of our pairings where the flavor profiles of the beer and the chocolate match up – (like choosing beers with chocolate undertones, for example) - this pairing boasts contrasting flavors, and boy was it amazing.

Blind Faith is one of Magic Hat’s two IPAs.  IPA or India Pale Ale is a beer of English origin, originally brewed for voyages to India, and if you’ve ever noticed how extremely hoppy it is, it’s because hops acted as a natural preservative for the long trip in the 19th century.  Nothing like a history lesson with your chocolate and beer!

It seems like IPAs are still a favorite in the world of brewers today.  Blind Faith is deeply malty, crisp and has a couple different types of hops – making it pretty bitter.  Paired with Grace Under Fire, with its salty pistachios and spicy red pepper flakes in 54% dark chocolate, you get a fabulous combination of all five basic taste profiles!  Sweet chocolate, salty pistachios, spicy red pepper and sour and bitter from the deliciously hoppy beer!  Cheers!

Calling all brides!  Still need favors for your wedding?  Here's your chance to win 250 chocolate heart favors from Lake Champlain Chocolates!

We're excited to announce we've partnered with our friends over at WeddingWire.com for the "Say Something Sweet Contest".   To enter, you must either create a video (no more than 30 seconds long) or write a 250 word essay explaining how WeddingWire has been so "sweet" to you during your wedding planning process.

As I mentioned before, the winner will receive 250 sheer organza favor bags and over 1,000 chocolate hearts! (You can even choose your favorite flavors - milk, dark, or dark mint chocolate).

The contest starts Monday, August 9th, and you have until Sunday, August 29th to enter.

Never been to WeddingWire.com before?  You definitely need to check out their site...it's a must for all engaged couples.  Not only can you enter the Say Something Sweet Contest there, but you can also research the very best vendors in your area (be sure to visit our storefront under "Favors & Gifts"), create your own wedding website, find the perfect wedding song, and so much more.   And don't miss the WeddingWire Blog, for great tips and real life wedding inspirations.

Good luck!

It’s no secret that Switchback Brewery is a local legend here in Vermont.  Their classic Unfiltered Ale is on tap in every bar in town and chances are if you try it once, you’ll be hooked. 

You may remember from last year’s Chocolate and Beer Pairings at Brew Fest, we paired Switchback’s Porter with our classic 54% Dark Chocolate.  This year, same brewery, different beer, different chocolate and amazing results.

Switchback’s Roasted Red & Honey Caramel

Our Chocolates of Vermont Honey Caramel is made from sweet, locally-harvested honey which is infused into our caramel and then drenched in a semisweet dark chocolate. The honey gives the caramel a complex blend of flavors beyond your typical caramel.

Switchback’s Roasted Red has strong, caramelized malt notes which match up beautifully with the Honey Caramel.  The floral notes in the honey really enhanced and brightened up the rich, hoppy flavor of the Roasted Red.  This is one match you have to try!