The Penn Quarter-based chocolate lounge and boutique Co Co. Sala is now offering private tastings and hands-on chocolate-making classes, conducted by staff chocolatiers with an emphasis on their old-fashioned techniques. In the two-hour chocolate and champagne pairing class ($40 per person, for as many as 40 people), participants gather in the private dining room to learn the origin of beans, the refining process, and flavor notes before a sampling and discussion. A two-and-a-half-hour course focuses on molding and enrobing ($75 per person, for as many as eight people), is held in the chocolate kitchen, and delves into the different methods used in the creation of hand-tempered chocolates. Tips on the use of chocolate as a tabletop decor element are included in both classes.
