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Barkeater Chocolates Celebrates 15 Years in Business

Posted: 4/20/2023 - 3-Minute Read

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Barkeater Chocolates Celebrates 15 Years in Business

We’re thrilled to congratulate local chocolatier Barkeater Chocolates on their 15^th anniversary! Read more below in this guest blog post about this inspiring business story and how they’re collaborating with members of our Adirondack Craft Beverage Trail!

NORTH CREEK, NY — Since 2008, Barkeater Chocolates has been serving up sweets in the heart of the Adirondacks. Specifically, North Creek, NY, just north of Lake George. Deb & Jim Morris started Barkeater back when finding artisan chocolates at your local big box retailer or major grocer was unheard of. To find flavorful, delicious chocolates, you had to find a chocolate store, a specialty food store, or gamble on an unfamiliar website. Deb studied techniques and spent weekends learning from chocolatiers and chefs before launching an artisanal truffle company in April of that year. Using a local bakery, Café Sarah, Deb created artisanal truffles during the café’s off hours, and sold them at farmer’s markets, craft fairs and online.

After two years, Barkeater Chocolates became a full-time operation on the lower level of Café Sarah, complete with an additional chocolatier and seasonal packaging personnel. They grew their line of chocolates to include bars, bark & peanut butter cups, with truffles still being an anchor for the business. Deb says, “We were growing so quickly, we practically outgrew our full-time space before we finished moving our equipment downstairs.”

In 2013, Barkeater Chocolates purchased a building on Route 28, just a mile from the café, and has been operating there ever since. Jim Morris said, “That move allowed us to open a factory store to serve the local population and visiting skiers, bikers and hikers.” The store prominently displays a world map with pins indicating where visitors are from.

“The Barkeater Chocolates story is so inspirational and shows what can be accomplished with a dream and dedication,” said Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce & CVB Executive Director Gina Mintzer. “We are proud to have had Barkeater as an inaugural vendor at the Taste NY Vending Market at the Adirondacks Welcome Center. It has been remarkable to see their progress through the years and watch them collaborate with other local businesses like the craft beverage producers on our Adirondack Craft Beverage Trail.”

Barkeater kicked off a series of anniversary events and collaborations with other companies. Deb said, “We have formed great working relationships with our retailers and local artisanal companies. We are thrilled to be collaborating with other folks who believe in quality like we do.”

The first event kicked off Thursday, March 23 with a Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce & CVB Mixer at Northway Brewing Company. Northway has been producing limited chocolate beers with Barkeater Chocolates since 2019. They have sold these brews at their Taproom in Queensbury as well as local Hannaford stores. Northway provided a guided chocolate pairing during the mixer, and in April, unveiled a limited Chocolate Turtle Beer with Barkeater Chocolates. Other anniversary events include:

4/14, 5:00-7:00pm – chocolate giveaway with Adirondack Winery at their new location in Queensbury. Adirondack Winery also celebrates 15 years in April, and the two companies have collaborated to produce a limited run chocolate port, which will be used for chocolate truffles.

4/21, 3:00-4:00pm – guided chocolate and Northway Brewing beer flights at Barkeater Chocolates in North Creek, featuring Northway’s newest brews and custom Barkeater truffles. Reservations required.

4/21 4:30-5:30pm – guided chocolate and Adirondack Winery wine flights at Barkeater Chocolates in North Creek, featuring Adirondack Winery’s newest chocolate port and custom Barkeater truffles. Reservations required.

4/21 6:00-7:00pm – guided chocolate and Common Roots beer flights at Barkeater Chocolates in North Creek, featuring Common Roots Latte Cup and custom Barkeater truffles. Reservations required.

4/22 10:00-5:00pm – Anniversary celebration at Barkeater Chocolates in North Creek. Chocolate giveaways, contests, prizes, special discounts and short haunted talks about strange happenings at their shop.

5/18 5:00-7:00pm – Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce Mixer at Adirondack Winery in Queensbury. Barkeater will give away a newly launched chocolate treat to all attendees to say “thank you” for 15 great years.

7/21 5:30pm – Collaborative dinner at Seasoned, SUNY Adirondack’s Culinary Arts Restaurant. Barkeater Chocolates will be featured on the menu that evening.

Visit barkeaterchocolates.com for details on all 15^th Anniversary Events, more events will be added throughout the year.

Barkeater Experiences

Chocolate Making

This Experience goes for up to 90 minutes and starts with a bit of the chocolate back story…where do cacao beans come from? What exactly is bloom? Why can’t I stop raiding my kid’s Halloween bag (additional fees for therapy apply)? Then off to the Experience Room where you’ll make your own chocolate treats. There will plenty of sweets to go around – you might even learn a thing or two.

Price of admission includes a 10% discount in our Factory Store immediately after/during the session.

Space is limited – this must be reserved and purchased ahead of time. No walk-ins will be accommodated. If we do not meet our minimum attendance, we will cancel and refund your money. If we reach our maximum attendance, we will close the session off to new attendees.

Reserve

Haunted Chocolate Making

The Haunted Factory Chocolate Session focuses on our haunted history and finishes off with participants making sweet chocolate ghosts. While we will cover real-life unexplained events and sometimes mysterious historical facts, the session is rated PG-13. Mature kids are welcome to join the group, up to their guardians’ discretion.

We’ll give you first hand accounts of some creepy happenings combined with the sometimes mysterious, sometimes tragic, often scandalous history of our very old building and grounds.

After we’ve covered the paranormal, we’ll go to our Experience Room where you’ll be able to make your own chocolate ghost to take home. Also, we have some ghost hunting tools you’re welcome to use. Who knows? Maybe you can experience the paranormal for yourself.

Price of admission includes a 10% discount in our Factory Store immediately after/during the session.

Space is limited – this must be reserved and purchased ahead of time. No walk-ins will be accommodated. No refunds for no shows. If you must cancel, please do so 24 hours in advance.

Reserve

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Barkeater Chocolates Celebrates 15 Years in Business

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