Can you find local craft chocolate in Arizona? Yes you can, we actually have some amazing local craft chocolate all over Arizona. This list will evolve, and if we left anyone off please let us know!

Phoenix based chocolate:

Nutwhats: Nutwhats focuses on their incredibly sticky and yummy nut confections, and they craft single origin chocolate from bean to bar as well. They source Cacao beans from The Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Madagascar, and Bolivia. They also won Phoenix Magazine's best chocolate in Arizona award for 2013 (we were the runner up, and hope to claim this award for ourselves this year!) Congratulations to them!

Wei of Chocolate: Wei of Chocolate infuses flower essences into their chocolate. Organic, gluten-free, GMO free, soy free, dairy free, fair trade, and vegan. We used to know the lady from the Phoenix Public Market that made the flower essences for Wei of Chocolate. She is an amazing lady, and a great addition to their chocolate company.

Zaks Chocolate: Zak's chocolate is new in the chocolate scene. They have won a couple awards at the International Chocolate Awards as well. We are great friends with the owners!

bNaked: Sue has fire and creativity. She makes some amazing local craft chocolate truffles, macaroons, and dehydrated bars. Her truffles have raw chocolate and raw cashews in them. We actually are in love with her truffles specifically, we call her the truffle queen!

Julia Baker: Now if you are looking for boxed chocolates and confections this is the woman to see. She makes some of the best confectionary chocolate in Arizona.

Fountain Hills based chocolate:

Chocofin Chocolatier:  "have been providing the world class resorts in Scottsdale, Arizona, with their world class chocolates since 1998" sourced directly from their site. I have not personally tried their chocolate, but I am sure it is very special.

Sedona based chocolate:

LuLu’s Chocolate: All of Lulu's chocolate is crafted from bean to bar without going above the raw chocolate threshold of 115 degrees F. She certainly has the best raw bean to bar chocolate in Arizona. She is a wonderful woman, we email from time to time to talk chocolate!

Sedona Chocolate Superfoods: These guys stone grind their cacao just like LuLu does, and they also use all raw organic and fair trade ingredients in their chocolate. They can be found making and selling their chocolate at the Chocola Tree.

Tucson based chocolate:

Untamed Confections: They make these wonderfully delightful Honey Caramel treats, and fair trade chocolate confections.

Monsoon Chocolate: Local chocolate company that offers a wide variety of chocolate products including, chocolate confections. single origin dark chocolate, and more!

Chocolate Spirited Artisan Chocolate: Local chocolate company that offers a wide variety of chocolate products including, chocolate confections, chocolate bark, and artisan hot chocolate!

Below are just a few reasons that fine craft chocolate (like ours!) is some of the most interesting and best food in the culinary world.

• Fundamentals of Flavor. In the attempt to try and understand chocolate's flavor, food scientists have found more than 600 different aromatic constituents. Yet they still have not been able to re-create chocolate's unique flavor. These components make chocolate one of the most complex of any food or beverage in the world, and everyday we are working to better understand, and develop these complexities in an approachable, and enjoyable way.

• Cacao Fermentation. One of the most crucial steps to creating fine chocolate, is finding a cacao bean that has been properly fermented. The beans are harvested from cacao pods and are fermented for serveral days, then carefully dried afterwards. This fermentation adds depth of flavor that doesn’t exist in the raw material, just like other craft foods, including wine, beer, and cheese.

• Enhancing the Cacao through Roasting. Part of the craft of chocolate making, is taking the fermented bean and roasting it to further those brownie-like, deep "chocolatey" notes. Deciding on a roasting profile, i.e. temperature and time, is part of the maker's art. Each profile creates flavor nuances that are exciting and unique to that specifc bean. 

• Where does your chocolate come from? Cacao grows in a narrow belt, 10 degrees on either side of the equator, and all cacao is unique to the region it is grown. Some beans provide intense citrusy tones or flavors of different fruits, while others you taste notes of spice and tobacco. Part of our quest for making great chocolate is sourcing beans that have interesting, yet utterly enjoyable flavor profiles to them. 

• Small-batch Chocolate. Chocolate is truly a historic and ancient food, and we want to present this to you in the best possible way. After testing and sourcing the beans, the chocolate making can begin! Each batch is carefully crafted in small amounts, this allows development of each step as we see fit for each specific bean. The result, a chocolate experience that leaves you blissed out and just downright happy.

Kasey and Steven, founders of Stone Grindz Chocolate, are working passionately to craft the best chocolate in the world for you. So go out and experience real chocolate.