The drink everyone loves, hot chocolate. It helps us fight the winter cold and remains as an essential seasonal beverage for all. With ⅓ of Americans preferring hot chocolate to any other seasonal drink. But why? Does it bring people together?  Yes, it’s a drink everyone loves and can enjoy in groups. But the main question is, does the different brands of hot chocolate determine how good the drink is?

Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate

The Swiss Miss hot chocolate is the most common brand of chocolate, but why? Could it be the accessibility of it by being found at any local grocery store, or maybe its low price of $2.48? Both of these could be factors of its popularity but the main factor is taste, with local hot chocolate lover, Luis Camarillo Campos, saying “It tastes like Hershey’s chocolate and it does not taste watered down at all! With it overall being ⅘ stars. I would highly recommend it to a person hoping to find a nice cup of hot chocolate!”

Starbucks Hot Cocoa

With many people just commonly searching for a nice brand of hot chocolate, and coming across the popular Starbucks brand hot cocoa, lots of people seem to enjoy it. Is it because of its price of $4.29 and availability, or its popularity in the brand, or could it be the taste?  I asked another fellow hot chocolate lover her opinion on it, Emily Hatfield-Gonzalez, and she said “It’s definitely not the best hot chocolate on the market, but not the worst. You can definitely taste the chocolate but it’s not as strong of a taste as I would like and I think many others could agree with. But overall I would give it a ⅗ stars, would not recommend it as a top choice.”

Abuelita-Nestle

The Abuelita hot chocolate is one of the most popular hot chocolate brands you see people drinking, with it being one of the few authentic Mexican-style hot chocolate brands. With having a common favorite of its distinguishable cinnamon and chocolate taste and being found at any local grocery store at the price of $3.77. After drinking a cup of it, I had my own review of the mix, “The cinnamon was not too overpowering to the chocolate I think it was a pretty equal balance between the two, but in general I would give it a 3.5/5, I would recommend it to someone who likes cinnamon a lot.”

Kings Island hot chocolate

Kings Island has recently reopened but now includes Winterfest, but in order to stay warm many people buy some hot chocolate there. But what makes it so special? Could it be because of it being the only option, the price of $3.75 a cup, or is it the taste? While drinking, a certain hot chocolate fan had lots to say, Emily Hatfield-Gonzalez, “This hot chocolate is probably the last hot chocolate I would buy, the chocolate taste is barely there and is extremely watered-down and there is not much of a cocoa taste or smell. I rate this one 1⁄5 stars, I would only recommend this to someone who is freezing and really wants hot chocolate  other than that would not recommend it.”

Ghirardelli Premium Hot Cocoa Mix

The Ghirardelli Premium  Hot Cocoa is also one of the most popular brands of chocolate in general with being a favorite for all. But is there hot chocolate as good as the iconic chocolates? With the price at $13.99 and being found at any grocery store, I asked a non-hot chocolate fan, Elizabeth Hatfield, her opinion on the brand and she said “ As a person who doesn’t really like hot chocolate, I will say this is a really good drink. The chocolate taste is very rich and not too overpowering on the milk. I rate this one ⅘ stars, it’s really good!”

Overall, the top hot chocolate price does not matter as much as taste does in my personal opinion. The Swiss Miss and the Ghirardelli Premium Hot Cocoa Mix were tied in taste even though they have a big difference in price, making both the top selected mixes for the holiday season. But in the end it is all based on your own opinion and your preference, so enjoy!