The 2023 Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival participants

Fans of one of winter's most comforting sweet drinks have something delicious to look forward to in the coming weeks - 143 things, to be exact.

That's because the 13th annual Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival takes place Jan. 14 through Feb. 14, 2023, and this year's tempting event features a staggering 143 hot chocolate creations at 95 participating locations (from 66 businesses) across Metro Vancouver.

The Hot Chocolate Festival calls participating Metro Vancouver bakeshops, cafés, and restaurants their "Chocstars," and it's easy to see why.

Year after year, participants pull out all the stops to come up with their Hot Chocolate Festival drink creations, working with unusual ingredients, decadent add-ons, revving things up with booze, or making sure plant-based eaters have plenty to enjoy.

Organizers promised 2023 would be bigger and better than before, and they certainly have delivered.

This year, you'll see newcomers to the fest like The Pie Hole, who has turned three of its signature treats into hot chocolates, including the "DDD Raspberry Cream" inspired by its appearance a couple of years back on TV's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives show.

Indulge the kiddos - or your inner child - with Kafka's sugary "Ultimate ‘Kids’ Hot Chocolate," which features a creamy milk hot chocolate drink topped with all the fixings: whipped cream, sprinkles, and mini marshmallows that comes with a ‘pizza’ slice covered in classic candies.

Over at Koko Monk on West 1st you'll find decadent creations with bold flavours, like the "Black Orpheus," which is made with vegan black curry, dark hot chocolate and a dash of coconut, that comes paired with vegan salted rose caramel praline. The boundary-pushing chocolatier is celebrating its 10th anniversary with the "wildest flavours" in its history, promises the business.

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The Hot Chocolate Festival is definitely a time to seek out something a little special, which makes the return of the collaboration between onetime bakeshop Soirette and Italian-style cafe chain Sciué exciting. This year they'll feature "Ticket to Amore" - a hazelnut and basil hot chocolate - and "Get in the Gondola With Casanova" - a Panettone Hot Chocolate topped with billowing clouds of mascarpone. Speaking of Italian vibes, you'll find them aplenty in the fest, including at popular spots like Giovane and the new gelateria Motoretta.

There are hot chocolates with cotton candy (Honolulu Coffee), cream puffs (Beta 5), and cheesecake (Fufu Cafe), too.

With over 140 options, there is something for everyone in the Hot Chocolate Festival lineup this year.

There is obviously a lot to choose from, so use the list and map below to inspire your Hot Chocolate Festival adventures. You'll find participating venues from West Vancouver to down in White Rock, all through Vancouver, and across into Burnaby and Port Coquitlam, too. There's even a spot in Whistler taking part this year.