There's something a little old-world about drinking chocolate — thick, rich, and meant to be sipped slowly rather than gulped like a mug of cocoa. Bixby Chocolate, a small chocolatier out of Rockland, Maine, makes a Non-GMO Drinking Chocolate Mix that's built exactly for that: melt it into your milk of choice and you've got a European-style drinking chocolate in minutes. It comes in three styles — Rich Dark (vegan), Creamy Milk & Dark, and a spiced Mayan blend with chipotle and sea salt.
What most people don't realize is that it's just as good cold. Here are three ways to turn a bag of Bixby mix into an iced chocolate drink, from a five-minute version to an overnight steep to a full-on cocktail.
## 1. Classic Iced Drinking Chocolate
This is the fastest route from bag to glass — about five minutes, most of it just whisking.
**You'll need (serves 1):**
- 2–3 tbsp Bixby Non-GMO Drinking Chocolate Mix
- 1/4 cup hot water or hot milk
- 1 cup cold milk (dairy, oat, or almond all work)
- Ice
- Optional: whipped cream, a cinnamon stick, or a pinch of flaky sea salt
**How to make it:**
Start by blooming the mix — whisk it into the hot water or milk until it's fully melted and smooth, with no clumps. This step matters more than it seems; the chocolate needs heat to dissolve properly before it ever meets ice. Let that base cool for a minute or two, then shake or whisk it together with the cold milk until frothy. Pour over a full glass of ice, and garnish however you like — whipped cream and cinnamon for the classic route, or a pinch of sea salt if you're using the Mayan blend.
*Want it richer? Bump up to 3 tbsp of mix per cup of milk. Or skip the ice cubes and blend the whole thing for a frappé-style texture.*
## 2. Overnight Cold-Steeped Drinking Chocolate
If you like your chocolate milk a little mellower and want to prep ahead, this is the method. Cold steeping gives the cocoa and spices time to fully infuse, which softens the cinnamon and spice notes compared to a quick hot melt.
**You'll need (serves 2, makes about 2 cups concentrate):**
- 1/3 cup Bixby Non-GMO Drinking Chocolate Mix
- 2 cups cold milk (dairy, oat, or almond)
- Ice, for serving
- Optional: a splash of vanilla extract
**How to make it:**
Whisk the mix directly into cold milk in a jar or pitcher — it won't fully dissolve right away, and that's fine. Cover it and refrigerate for 8–12 hours, or overnight. In the morning, give it another good shake (some settling is normal), then pour over ice. Add a splash more milk if you want it lighter.
*This is a great make-ahead option for hot mornings, brunches, or entertaining a crowd — just multiply the recipe and keep a pitcher in the fridge.*
## 3. Bixby Chocolate Martini
For the grown-up version, this turns the drinking chocolate into a proper cocktail.
**You'll need (serves 1):**
- 2 tbsp Bixby Non-GMO Drinking Chocolate Mix
- 3 tbsp hot water or hot milk
- 1.5 oz vodka (or swap in Irish cream or dark rum)
- 1 oz coffee liqueur, like Kahlúa (optional, but recommended)
- 2 oz cold milk or half-and-half
- Ice, for shaking
- Optional garnish: chocolate shavings, a cinnamon stick, or a cinnamon-sugar rim
**How to make it:**
Melt the mix into the hot water or milk as usual, whisking until smooth, and let it cool slightly. If you're feeling fancy, rim a chilled martini glass with cinnamon sugar or cocoa powder. Fill a shaker with ice, add the melted chocolate base, vodka, coffee liqueur, and milk or half-and-half, and shake hard for 15–20 seconds until well chilled and a little frothy. Strain into your glass and garnish.
*The Mayan variant — with its chipotle and sea salt — makes an excellent spicy chocolate martini. Try pairing it with a spiced rum instead of vodka for extra warmth. Please enjoy responsibly.*
---
*All three recipes use Bixby Non-GMO Drinking Chocolate Mix (Rich Dark Vegan, Creamy Milk & Dark, or Mayan), available at [bixbychocolate.mom](https://bixbychocolate.mom).*