A 10 oz. A cup of fancy hot chocolate from The Fat Cactus, one of several holiday food vendors at Snowport and the SoWa Winter Festival, will set you back a whopping $13 — a price that rivals a tolerable bottle of wine, a scented Christmas candle, even a few small Christmas gifts.

Still, I figured the creativity found at The Fat Cactus might be worth a pretty penny. The menu alone is simply innovative.

There are a dozen unique variations of hot chocolate to choose from, each featuring its own cocoa blend and assortment of toppings. When I visited on Thursday, “Cookie Butter Craze” was unfortunately sold out. It looked amazing: a sweet cup of cocoa butter cookie topped with Biscoff crumble, cinnamon streusel, a drizzle of cookie butter and, of course, a generous helping of whipped cream. Maybe next time.

Fortunately, several other swoony flavors were on offer, including “Half-Baked,” a concoction it’s reminiscent of the invention of Ben & Jerry’s cookie dough and brownie fusion. Also on the menu: “Unicorn Dream”, not to be confused with Starbucks’ “Unicorn Frappuccino” which went viral in 2017.

Other options included “Gingerbread,” which comes with a little gingerbread man nestled in a mountain of whipped cream; “Cannoli Madness,” a tiramisu-flavored cup of cocoa topped with a real mini cannoli; and “S’mores,” a concoction filled with toasted marshmallows.

But the question remains: Were the steaming cups of hot chocolate just a spectacle? Or were they as delicious as they looked?

After thinking about the choices, I finally landed on six flavors that I had to try: “Gingerbread”, “Peppermint Patty”, “Cookies & Cream”, “Unicorn Dream”, “Half-Baked” and “S’mores.”

Some were better than others.

Sipping the “Gingerbread” cocoa was like tasting the nectar of the gods. Its delicate blend and subtle cinnamon left a comforting warmth in my chest. The “S’mores” was also a strong point, its smoky sweetness tasted like it had been warmed over a crackling fire.

The “Unicorn Dream,” on the other hand, was a cup I could have done without. Its extravagant decorations – rainbow sprinkles, edible glitter, frosted cookies and a large golden butterfly (!) – certainly made it one Instagrammable show. But once you removed the rocket, it was just an overly sweet cup of cocoa.

The other concoctions I tried, “Peppermint Patty”, “Half-Baked” and “Cookies & Cream” were delicious but no more remarkable than indulging in a real peppermint treat or the classic Half-Baked ice cream flavors -Baked and Cookies & Cream.

So, was the hot chocolate worth that $13? After dozens of sips and careful consideration, I came to a verdict: It really depends on what you’re looking for.

Are you someone who just wants to sip a hot beverage while holiday shopping? If so, opt for one of the other cocoa cups on the market that are about half the price.

However, if you’re one of those “my phone eats first” types who enjoy sharing culinary experiences with social media followers near and far, The Fat Cactus’ out-of-this-world hot chocolates might be just the thing. made for you.

Sabrina Lam can be contacted at [email protected].