Monsoon Chocolate is making bean to bar chocolate in the desert climate of Tucson, Arizona. It’s not a region we might think of as a hotspot for craft chocolate, but as founder Adam Krantz explains, the southwest has a strong historical claim to cacao, and he wanted to honor that heritage while also pushing the boundaries of flavor with unique regional ingredients like chiltepin chilis or mesquite.

I love talking with chocolate makers or brewers who are using ingredients and flavors from their region to color outside the lines of tradition, or perhaps more accurately, to erase and redraw those lines. Tradition is not a fixed thing. Norms change. We can expand the guidelines for tomorrow’s makers and tasters by thinking creatively today.

Listen in as we talk with Adam Krantz of Monsoon Chocolate.

Partner businesses mentioned in the episode include Hamilton Distillers/Whiskey Del Bac, Desert Provisions,  Santa Ana Pueblo, Uncommon Cacao (listen to my interview with founder Emily Stone), and Meridian Cacao (listen to my interview with agronomist Sarah Bharath).

You can learn more about sponsors at their websites:
Beer Scholar
Fifth Street Brewpub

Bean to Barstool is a podcast that looks at the intersections between craft beer and craft chocolate, using them as lenses for exploring the world of flavor and the way flavor interacts with our memories, emotions, imaginations and even our identities to teach us more about who we are. It is hosted by Advanced Cicerone® David Nilsen. Bean to Barstool recently joined the PorchDrinking podcast network, so be sure to check out all their episodes here.

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