? ?Chocolate University is taking place at the Abbey Resort on Friday, April 6th and Saturday, April 7th, 2018. Partnering with Ethereal Confections of Woodstock, Ill., and Chicago-based CH Distillery, The Abbey Resort and Avani Spa is pleased to present Chocolate University – a delicious weekend of fascinating classes, decadent tastings, inspirational food and spirit pairings, and interactive fun with like-minded food and beverage connoisseurs.
The weekend of delicious education begins Friday evening at 6:00 pm with a Chocolate Welcome Reception featuring a charcuterie and chocolate board and hand-crafted cocktails. The charcuterie and chocolate board will include locally cured meat and artesian cheeses hand-selected by Chef Joshua North of The Abbey Resort, perfectly paired with the Ginger, Orange, Coriander Chocolate Bar and the Dominican Republic Single Origin Chocolate Bar by Ethereal Confections. Also featured at the Chocolate Welcome Reception will be a Ruby Red Gimlet and an Abbey Cup, a classic twist to the Pimm’s Cup, using CH Vodka and CH Gin liquor by CH Distillery.
After a break for dinner on their own, Chocolate University students will gather again at 9:00 pm on the harbor lawn overlooking Geneva Lake to enjoy S’Mores and Spirits featuring bonfire s’mores made with the Single Origin Haiti Chocolate Bar and paired with Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate by Ethereal Confections served with CH Dogma Amargo de Chile amaro liquor which features notes of mole spice, chile pepper and cocoa with a sweet cinnamon spice finish.
The scrumptious schooling continues Saturday at 10:00 a.m. when students attend a Chocolate Making Class to learn about the history and origin of chocolate and how it was first made before enjoying an education of their taste buds by sampling single origin chocolate and fresh cocoa fruit. This two-hour course concludes with participants making their own personalized truffles, from bean to beautiful packaging.
After a break for lunch on their own, Chocolate University students gather at 2:00 pm for a Distillery Class where they will learn about amaro liquor, what is it, how it is distilled, how to drink it, and how CH Distillery infuses it into the unique and hand-crafted liquors it is known for. Interactive tastings and simple cocktail preparation will be included as part of the Distillery Class, including the preparation of a Bitter Dog Spritz, a Fenet and Coke, an Amargo de Chile Spice Russian and an Amaro neat, on the rocks or floated in a dark beer.
Following an afternoon break, Chocolate University students will gather at 6:00 p.m. for the final and ultimate class, the Spirit and Chocolate Pairing Event featuring the most decadent of the weekend’s offerings including the Hazel Bee truffle with CH Dark Matter Coffee Liquor, the Honey Bear Truffle with CH Bourbon, and the Ethereal Dream with a Key Gin Martini.
Guests may choose to dine on their own Saturday evening or participate in an optional $30 prix fixe meal by Chef North featuring a first course of arugula and pear salad with Hook’s manchego and candied filbert, followed by day boat scallop and prawn mole served with saffron rice and avocado, and concluding with the diner’s choice of a signature CH Distillery spirit.
Pre-registration for participation in any portion of Chocolate University is required.Participation is extremely limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Guests may select to attend Chocolate University as an add-on to their weekend stay at The Abbey Resort, or by calling (800) 709-1323 to purchase admission to Chocolate University events as a non-overnight guest. Cost for attending all of the Chocolate University events is $65 per person, not including the prix fixe dinner. For pricing on individual events, please contact the resort by calling (800) 709-1323.
Along with The Abbey Resort and Avani Spa, partners for Chocolate University include Ethereal Confections, which produces ethically sourced, organically grown and artfully crafted chocolates and more, and CH Spirits, which produces spirits grown in Ill. and made in Chicago.
Chocolate University schedule of events:
Friday, April 6
6 – 7 p.m.: Chocolate Welcome Reception
7 – 9 p.m.: Students enjoy dinner on their own
9 – 10 p.m.: S’mores and Spirits on the harbor lawn
Saturday, April 7
10 a.m. – 12 noon Chocolate Making Class
12 noon – 2 p.m. Students enjoy lunch on their own
2 – 4 p.m. Distillery Class
6 – 7 p.m. Spirit and Chocolate Pairing Event
7 p.m. Optional Prix Fixe menu at 240° West
Information about Chocolate University can be found on the resort’s website as follows: https://www.theabbeyresort.com/dining