Cool Hunting
From the matchbox-like packaging to the slender bars of dark chocolate contained within, Alice Chocolate is an exquisite treat through and through. The brainchild of brand consultants Michael Felber and Steven Mark Klein, the pair are working to restore the tradition of Swiss chocolate by making their chocolate at a factory in Bern, Switzerland that has been around since 1919. Sourcing the chocolate (fairly and sustainably of course) from the Amazon, brings the tradition into the 21st century. Adding only sugar to the handpicked beans, Alice chocolates are exceedingly pure, free of stabilizers and additives and at 68% cacao content, the little wands are a pleasing not-too-bitter-nor-too-sweet blend .
The name plays on Lewis Carroll's Alice of course, but also pays tribute to Alice B. Toklas, Alice Waters and the others who "enrich the day through their imagination, refinement and enchantment." The silhouette of a girl stamped on each bar and adorning the package furthers the Victorian allusion of the name and makes for a lovely gift or accompaniment to coffee.
A box of five seven-gram bars is $30 at Bblessing and Kiki de Montparnasse in NYC, Selfridges in London or by emailing info [at] alicechocolate [dot] com.
|
previous entry Li Xi Year of the Rat Gift Envelopes |
next entry Simplicitas 182 Gram Toiletry Bag |
Chocolate-Pencils is the product of a collaboration pairing Japanese architect and designer Oki Sato with patissier (and Iron Chef champion) Tsujiguchi Hironobu, the man behind Tokyo's boutique dessert shops Mont St. Claire and Le Chocolat de H. Subtle tableware effectively displays the gourmet chocolate and includes a special "pencil sharpener" for grating over a dessert. The pencils operate under the concept that shavings, which...
Pearl-shaped and tiny, the Manhattan patisserie Trois Crepes' Dark Chocolate Pearls contain something like a buttery Rice Krispy in a coverture of bittersweet chocolate. A pleasing crunch and slight saltiness makes for a surprising experience, but the chocolate balances both the flavor and texture. The Perles are delicious sprinkled on ice cream or yogurt, but we also like pouring them directly into our mouth....
As hemp steadily makes the transition from hippie health food to antioxidant du jour, two new products stand out for tasting good while also reaping the benefits of the seed. Rich with Omegas, all 10 essential Amino Acids and other vitamins and nutrients, hemp is a good alternative source of protein and, in the case of Hempmilk, it's a good stand-in for milk.Available in...
In Brazil, like most everywhere else, Easter tradition dictates giving chocolate eggs to relatives and friends. With the motto "Life has more taste when we feed our eyes before we delight the palate," Sweet Brazil Chocolates have been producing wonderful "design chocolate" since 1987—a superior choice for celebrating the holiday. While every major chocolate brand working double to fill the supermarkets with thematic eggs—like...
Probably to quell our jealousy, a CH colleague recently brought delicious Bovetti chocolate bars back from a weekend trip to Paris. It worked. The artisan Tablettes de chocolate are wide bars of rich quality chocolate sprinkled with a single ingredient on one side. We sampled a dark chocolate with sesame and enjoyed both the complexly flavored chocolate and the subtle nutty accent of the...
Belgian chocolatier Charlemagne makes a line of chocolates notable for their flavors (such as Hemp, Ginger and Green Tea) and their long thin bar shape. Using a patented process, owner Denise Courant Bellefroid infuses essences from fruits, flowers, coffee, tea and spices into the cocoa in the renovated farmhouse (where the company's namesake was born) that houses the business. We sampled two bars from...
The Pharos Project
Hank and Matlok
Neon Shoes
Radio Village Nomade
Ghostly Swim: Interview with Sam Valenti
Creative Index
Interview with Maarten Baas
A Paper Tiger
Von Totebags and T-Shirts
