Those of us who enjoy coffee might rib you if you said that about their brown dishwater beverage, but I'm quite prepared to believe that Starbucks is capable of making a good hot chocolate. They are two different arts, I might even be tempted to try it sometime if there's not a coffee shop alternative available.

There is no hot chocolate in the world which is better than Italian hot chocolate. Its easy to make it at home and just like drinking liquid chocolate. I found hot chocolate sparrow in MA the best. I found a chocolate that works for ma and isn't too sweet.

The C&W hot choc at their cafe in NY was gorgeous, as was the hot chocolate in the cafe at Henri Bendel's when I was there a few years ago! I'd forgotten about those two!

Hotel Chocolat did do a spiced hot chocolate a few years back, I wasn't keen on it tho.

Starbucks hot chocolate is fantastic. Regardless of what you think of their coffee or their corporate culture - the hot chocolate is delicious. It is like drinking a chocolate bar.

Schokinag Dark Drinking Chocolate was a favorite of mine as well. It required a good amount of stirring to get the product to disperse. The sad news is that Schokinag discontinued it, due to lack of popularity.

Callebaut chocolate shaved up and melted with hot milk is good as well, if you add some natural sugar (Sugar in the Raw etc)

In San Francisco, there is a place along the piers that has a great drinking chocolate as well. Really fudgy, thick, yet smooth. Their products seem kind of arty design looking. TCHO

One of the best I've had while traveling is San Churro but AFAIK it's only available in Australia at their shops. Good stuff with a good touch of spice to it. I can attest that there are a few thickeners in the product to give it that 'rich' appeal.

Then there is one I discovered that comes from France, but I'm going to be selfish and not share the name, as it's just something I want all to myself :)

Do you mean just the retail sales, or overall? As far as I know, they still do wholesale

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADM_Sch...mbH_%26_Co._KG (Sorry, in German) I'm used to seeing/using Schokinag in the big white industrial tub format, although I know that it was sold via Amazon and in shops in the US. In fact, I just purchased a tin in the US a few weeks ago.

There are many German and a few French products I would recommend, but as OP is looking for something in Vancouver, I tried to focus on products they would be able to locate relatively easily.

At least one Daniel chocolates has a 'cafe' setting and they may have something similar OP to what you requested. Also Berlin chocolatier Fassbender & Rausch (they have a famous shop and cafe on the Gendarmenmarkt with hot chocolate choices) does sell their product at Costco and London Drugs at times (the big treasure chest is actually far less to purchase there than in the actual shop in Berlin!). I don't believe however that you would find a drinking chocolate from them, but their geographic line is quite good shaved into hot milk as an alternative. http://www.fassbender-rausch.de/

I'm also a hot chocolate lover and use it too much in different ways. A cup of hot cocoa drink has been my favorite substitutes for a regular dose of tea or coffee at all times.

The product Dark Chocolate Drinking Chocolate has been discontinued for distribution in the United States due to lack of popularity/interest. Other items are still available. This according the their US Marketing/Distributor in Wisconsin.

In Chicago, go to the restaurant in Bucktown called Hot Chocolate.

http://hotchocolatechicago.com/

My GF is not a coffee drinker, but has to have her "Hot Chocolate" daily. And she insists that Starbucks is the best she has found globally. And she's very well traveled. I know it's a matter of taste.

Personally, I have a fondness for Cafe Nero. I love everything they serve, and only wish I did not have to go to London to enjoy their servings.

It has a lot of great things. Fantastic food, you will forget dieting if you come here. I love eating here for desserts.

Another vote for Starbucks hot chocolate, and, compared to most things on their menu it's actually quite reasonably priced!

As fate has it, I can answer my own question. Work dragged me to New York and found a good list http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010...-hot-chocolate and when I mapped them out , it turns out http://goo.gl/maps/zqHi some of them are really close to each other. All three of these are good but what I wanted is the italian hot chocolate in Eataly. Now, with Caffe Nero also calling theirs Hot Chocolate Milano, there's a pattern emerging: what I want is Italian Hot Cholate :)

Seriously? What am I doing wrong? I always ask for an extra shot of chocolate and it still tastes pretty much like hot milk to me. :(

Also, let me note that Vancouver has Thierry :)