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Brace yourself. The ice is coming.

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Light your candles. Start up your generators. Grab every loaf of bread on your grocer’s shelves. It’s the ice-pocalypse and you need to be prepared.

But add one more thing to your list—hot chocolate. No, I’m not talking about some pitiful just-add-water scoop-swirl-and-serve garbage you’d get out of a tin can. I’m talking genuine drinking chocolate, made with love and affection, served up steaming hot by the lovely folks at Loblolly Creamery.

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This seasonal drink is not to be missed this time of year. You’re going to get cold, that’s a fact. And nothing warms the body and spirit like a warm drink teeming with chocolate.

When it comes to food and drink, people love to blurt out the words, “the best I’ve ever had” with just about anything they enjoy. This casual use of the expression, generally speaking, causes it to lose its meaning over time. Usually, it’s not actually “the best,” but it sure gets people’s attention when it’s labeled so.

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That being said—Loblolly’s hot chocolate is THE BEST I’ve ever had.

Why? Many reasons. First, they’ve nailed in on consistency. You don’t want a drink that’s too thin and watery, often flavorless and bland. You also don’t want something so thick it’s difficult to choke down. Loblolly’s drink is smooth, silky and creamy, with the perfect thickness. It gently slithers down the throat slowly and gracefully. The flavor is unparalleled. Rich, sweet high-quality chocolate with just a touch of cinnamon to finish with a faintly spicy note. It’s bliss in a cup.

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Do not pass up their housemade marshmallows. They are every bit as important and impressive as the hot chocolate. Unlike store-bought marshmallows, which often tend to be chewy, spongy, and stale, Loblolly’s are soft, smooth and creamy. It’s a texture unlike anything else I’ve seen in a marshmallow. They melt slowly in their hot chocolate bath—cherish them while they last. They offer various flavors, but I prefer the fragrant flavor of maple as my ‘mallow of choice.

Stockpiling for the impending doom about to hit central Arkansas. They sell the stuff in a DIY to-go kit (marshmallows included), so you can make your own hot chocolate from home.

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Whatever it takes to get some—snowmobile, dog sled, snowshoes—try this hot chocolate. Your holiday season will be infinitely brighter because of it.

Find Loblolly at the Green Corner Store: 1423 Main St, Little Rock.

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