Luke Owen Smith in New Zealand has launched A Bar Apart, an organization with a corresponding emblem that certifies the quality and practices of New Zealand based craft chocolate makers. In today's episode, Luke shares what A Bar Apart is, what it means, and what he hopes it will accomplish.

In part 3 of their Media Relations for Craft Chocolate Makers series, David and Melinda talk about building a media list. They look at understanding different types of media, making a list of media you might want to reach out to, the information you need for prospective contacts, how to find contact info, how to initiate communication, and more. 

Today we're talking with David Herrick of Foundry Chocolate to learn about the R&D process for Foundry’s annual whisky-infused bar. Enjoy!

In part two of Bean to Barstool’s  Media Relations for Craft Chocolate Makers series, David Nilsen and Melinda Guerra talk about identifying stories, understanding what constitutes a story, and what the different types of media coverage are.

In this episode, host David Nilsen talks with Ava J. Holmes and Fiorella Richter, the founders of Women of Cacao, a global, bilingual network uniting professionals across sectors within cacao and craft chocolate: from genetics and farming to chocolate making and science, which culminates each year in the Women of Cacao Summit, a hybrid virtual and in-person global gathering. Ava and Fiorella speak to the rich history of women in cacao and chocolate, their own journeys to craft chocolate, and what folks can expect at this year’s summit.

In part one of Bean to Barstool’s  Media Relations for Craft Chocolate Makers series, host David Nilsen talks about why media relations is so important no matter the size of your chocolate business, and why you need to have a strategy for this.

In this bonus episode, host David Nilsen talks about his concerns around the ecological and human harms of LLM AI technology, and the business reasons he doesn't think you should use it in promoting your craft chocolate business. 

In today's episode, David Herrick of Foundry Chocolate walks us through Foundry’s annual whisky-infused bar made with Thompson Distillery.

Today we're talking with Liang Wang of Kessho Chocolate in Austin, Texas. Liang talks about Kessho’s line of tea-infused chocolate bars.

In today's episode, Tyler Cagwin of Nostalgia Chocolates gives advice for craft chocolate makers on selling cacao nibs and other ingredients to craft breweries. Tyler has sold cacao to many breweries in upstate New York and now in North Carolina, and it's become a substantial part of his business at Nostalgia. Here he walks us through things to consider in advance, how to approach prospective brewery partners, what he presents when he meets with them, how he builds these relationships, and how he schedules cacao roasting for his brewery customers in his regular chocolate production schedule.

In this bonus episode, host David Nilsen talks about the most versatile craft beer styles to have on hand for pairing with craft chocolate. He explains why each style is so versatile and recommends types of craft chocolate to pair with each, and provides some information on how to host a pairing at home.

In this episode we talk with Estelle Tracy about her collaboration with Castronovo Chocolate. Estelle talks about how she approached the pairing, how it worked, what the advantages were on both sides, and what you need to know if you want to pursue a similar collab as either a craft chocolate maker or an educator or enthusiast.

Today we're talking with Jason Brewer and Zac Boehnke of Wandering Monsters Brewing in Cincinnati, Ohio. Jason and Zac share the most important thing they've learned when working with cacao and other flavor ingredients, and the storytelling that's possible with these beers.

This is the last in a four-part series called Collaborations for Chocolate Makers. In this episode, In this episode, we talk about ideas for creative, outside-the-box craft chocolate collaborations—Partnerships with businesses or community entities that you might not think about as options but can really lead to some cool storytelling and visibility.

Today we're talking with Liang Wang of Kessho Chocolate in Austin, Texas. Liang shares the meaning behind the name Kessho, as well as the thought that goes into their wrapper artwork and mold design.

This is the third in a four-part series called Collaborations for Chocolate Makers. In this episode, we're talking all about craft chocolate makers collaborating with other craft chocolate makers. In this episode, we talk about the untapped potential of collaborations within craft chocolate. We discuss the unique advantages of these collabs, examples of how these chocolate collaborations can work, how to approach them, occasions for collabs, and particular things to consider before embarking on one.

In this episode of Bean to Barstool, David Nilsen talks with Master Cicerone Scott Fielder and Advanced Cicerone Chris Crowe about how their pursuit of knowledge through these certifications has impacted their experience and enjoyment of beer. We also talk about the vulnerability of sharing their exam preparation as publicly as they have, and how we can provide consumers with useful information without gatekeeping and using exclusionary descriptive language. 

In this episode of Bean to Barstool, David Nilsen talks with Elmer Pineda of Yojoa Chocolate in Honduras. They discuss the background of Yojoa Chocolate and their cacao farm, the natural landscape that provides so much flavor and inspiration to Yojoa’s bars, the importance of not only fermentation but carefully controlled drying in flavor formation, and some of Yojoa’s unique inclusion bars, like Espresso and Anis Avocado. 

This is the second in a four-part series called Collaborations for Chocolate Makers. In this episode, we're talking all about craft chocolate collaborations with breweries, distilleries, wineries, and other beverages alcohol producers. We discuss the benefits of the collaborations, potential product ideas, how to approach potential collab partners in this space, and things to consider beforehand.

In this episode of Bean to Barstool, David Nilsen talks with Mike King of Encore Coffee and Chocolate about the overlap between these worlds, what he’s learned about each from the other, how sourcing and roasting and flavor formulation differs between them, and how he creates the delicious coffee infused bars like Cafe Mocha, Vanilla Latte, and Caramel Macchiato in his Coffee House Series.