We partnered with Ghirardelli to bring you some stellar s’mores drinks created by baristas across the United States.
BY SARAH ALLEN
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
Featured photo by Leon Contreras via Unsplash
Summertime is synonymous with campfires and lake swimming, tents and flip flops, and, of course, s’mores. Just thinking about that beautifully messy combination of a toasted marshmallow goo melting over a square of chocolate all sandwiched together between crunchy graham crackers makes me nostalgic for summers past and present. And I’m far from the only one.
After a dismal year stuck largely at home, Americans are coming out of hiding and into the sunshine, and summer 2021 is so far pretty darn dreamy. To capture the joy of the season, we wanted to celebrate the modest s’more in a most thrilling way: by reimagining it as a coffee beverage.
I’ll admit, I didn’t come up with this genius idea on my own: It all came from Ghirardelli Chocolate. When the San Francisco-based company dedicated to all things chocolatey and delicious debuted their Dark Chocolate Chip Frappé Mix earlier this year, they also offered up an irresistible recipe to make with it: the S’mores Frappé (details below). It signaled all the best things about summertime to me.
So, Ghirardelli product manager Tina and I put our heads together and decided to go big with it: We asked six outstanding baristas from around the United States to get creative with the concept of a s’mores-themed coffee drink and take part in the S’mores Beverage Challenge presented by Ghirardelli Chocolate and Barista Magazine. The sky was the limit: We gave them unbridled creative license to create the s’mores drink of their dreams.
“We wanted to transform that s’mores concept for specialty coffee and see how baristas would envision s’mores-themed beverages with Ghirardelli’s professional products,” says Tina.
I assumed we’d get some great recipes, but I had no idea these baristas would go so far, get so imaginative, and share so much of themselves with their s’mores drinks.
Today, we’re so excited to showcase the Ghirardelli Chocolate s’mores drinks created by this all-star lineup of baristas at Barista Magazine’s Instagram. Your mouth will water as you flip through these recipes and see photos of the drinks, I promise you.
And because these baristas deserve recognition and reward for their thoughtfulness and hard work, we want you to vote for your favorites! Simply “like” the one that resonates the most with you, and the drink with the most “likes” by 8 p.m. PDT on July 15 will be the winner! Ghirardelli is generously awarding all six participants with some awesome cash prizes: $1,000 for first place; $500 for second; and $200 each to third, fourth, fifth, and sixth. (See below for official rules.)
“With its wide network and strong following on social, Barista Magazine was the perfect partner to help identify a handful of industry leaders and lead this summer’s S’mores Beverage Challenge,” Tina says. “We hope these fantastic creations will inspire others to bring back summertime nostalgia with more s’mores menu items, and of course, use quality Ghirardelli chocolate products behind the bar—and around the campfire!”
Head over to Barista Magazine’s Instagram now to check out these gorgeous drinks and be sure to “like” your favorite. After that, we hope you’ll get going recreating them for you and your friends to enjoy because, like we said, it’s the magic of summertime.
Official rules for the S’mores Beverage Challenge Presented by Ghirardelli Chocolate + Barista Magazine:
• Drinks must be s’mores-themed. Drinks may be hot or cold. Drinks may or may not include alcohol.
• Drinks must contain coffee (espresso, brewed, iced, etc.).
• Recipes must include at least one Ghirardelli product (but the more used, the better!).
• Each competitor and their drink will be featured on Barista Magazine’s Instagram page on Monday, July 12, 2021. Winner and runners-up will be determined by voting from the public on the Instagram post @baristamagazine as “likes.” Voting is open on Instagram between 8 a.m. PDT, July 12, 2021, and 8 p.m. PDT, July 15, 2021.
• Competitors are allowed to promote their drink on their own Instagram accounts between July 12–15, 2021. However, “likes” on their personal Instagram accounts do not count in the official contest vote count.
• Competitors are allowed to campaign for their drinks. Tell your family and friends to cheer you on and vote!
• No purchase necessary to win. A purchase of Ghirardelli products will not increase your chances of winning. All federal, state, local, and municipal laws and regulations apply. Void where prohibited.
