The Chocolate Bar’s Alison Nelson Talks Indulgence…And (Duh) Chocolate

Shop It Now Here's a great way to be the most popular kid in any room: make chocolate. And to be the most popular person in New York City? Make delicious, bespoke chocolate sourced from the yummiest ingredients, and wrap it in beautiful labels to reflect the city in which it's made (Think graffiti, local Brooklyn artists, and iconic fashion). And while an official expertise on chocolate isn't in Refinery29's mission statement, we'll readily admit — we know our chocolate.

So, for our inaugural, limited-edition Holiday Reserve collection, we thought, "What does everyone love? What might we all want?". The answer, of course, was The Chocolate Bar's sweet/salty pretzel bar. Wrapped in thick, colorful paper and consisting of R29's favorite flavors, these exclusive bars are rapidly disappearing, and it's only partially our fault. So, take a bite out of our editors' picks and get acquainted with The Chocolate Bar's Alison Nelson; definitely the most popular gal in New York City!

We’ll be honest: We’re the most excited to be interviewing the chocolatier maker — but who wouldn’t be? Do you find that you have a lot more friends since you started producing chocolate?

"People are definitely happy to see me when I'm carrying a bag of chocolate! Although I'm not well-liked at the gym."

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Seven chocolate bars, seven days of the week. Which one would you enjoy on which day, and why?

"Milk Chocolate on Monday: Start the week off sweet!
Black & Tan on Tuesday: That's usually the day I realize I didn't get everything done on Monday.
Milk Salty Pretzel on Wednesday: It's hump day! A good time for salty and sweet to keep me going.
Dark Espresso on Thursday: I will take extra caffeine wherever I can get it, toward the end of the week!
Milk Nutty on Friday: Because I meet with my Girl Scout Brownie troop on Fridays. This bar resembles my state of mind.
Dark Salty Pretzel on Saturday: Not too refined or serious.
Dark Salty on Sunday: Melt it onto toasted baguette and top with olive oil. The greatest snack between brunch and dinner – ever!"

Why chocolate? In a city that is so concerned with appearances (New York) how did you get involved with such a sinful indulgence?
"For such a simple food, it's extremely complex, and it transcends every culture as a comfort food, an indulgence, or a simple treat. It can be dressed up in truffles or dressed down in a straight dark chocolate bar. Very much like New York City itself. But on the most personal level, chocolate is the simplest and most satisfying way for me to make people happy. Which, in this town, can be a real feat!"

What is your most popular bar? And which one is your favorite?

"It's a tie between milk salty pretzel and dark salty. Those two are also my favorites. I think most people have a salty-sweet tooth!"

This isn’t a question as much as a favor: Can you share your favorite method of making a quick and easy (no frothing, and no crazy equipment) hot cocoa?

"Use 1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate for every one cup of milk. Put both in a saucepan over medium heat and stir with a whisk until all the chocolate is melted and combined with the milk. For Mexican hot chocolate, add a pinch of ground chipotle or chile powder and a pinch of cinnamon before putting the milk over medium heat. It shouldn't take longer than three minutes."

If the Refinery29 reader was a chocolate bar, she would be…

"Definitely the dark salty bar. Classic with a nod to the modern, and an appreciation for humor and sheer fun!"