If you were fortunate sufficient to get onDr Dan McCoy’s Christmas chocolate list over the last number of years, you currently understood that the previous Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas president understood his method around a cocoa bean, however his most current venture as the owner of Hill Country Chocolate and its sibling business DKM Cellars has actually taken his enthusiasm to a brand-new level.
McCoy is a male of numerous skills. Before moving into the C-suite at Blue Cross, he was a skin specialist. During his time as an insurance coverage executive, D CEO publication discussed his passion for photography, wonderfully catching daily life on his journeys. At the time, we didn’t understand that McCoy had actually filled his visitor home with chocolate-making devices, try out tastes and textures and making numerous chocolates to send out to buddies each year for the vacations.
He had actually been emailing and calling chocolate specialists for many years, learning more about molds and cocoa beans to get the best taste. “It’s an insane mix of science and imagination,” he states. “It interested my brain, so I began doing things, and I took a couple of classes occasionally, and I got a great deal of suggestions from individuals.”
After leaving Blue Cross in 2020, he started to do some health care consulting however quickly wearied of being restricted to zoom calls all the time. Years back, he had actually purchased a home in Fredericksburg and started dabbling the concept of taking his chocolate skills to theHill Country And he is getting here with some official education. After choosing he was seeing excessive Netflix a number of years back, he registered in 2 accreditation courses in viticulture and Texas winemaking from Texas Tech University’s plant and soil science department, which is based inFredericksburg He finished in 2020.
The dream came true when he formed Hill Country Chocolate, a store 5 minutes from Fredericksburg’s primary drag, which is packed with shops, dining establishments, and an unknown variety of bachelorette celebrations. The 4,000 square foot store is a “bean to bar” chocolate factory that utilized to be a wood store.
McCoy demands fairly sourced beans and isn’t scared to experiment. His confections run the range from artisanal bon bons to other developments utilizing Okinawan black sugar, coffee, black pepper, and even an orange ganache. There are likewise conventional confections like almond butter toffee, pecan caramel, and peanut fragile.
He likewise runs DKM cellars out of the area, where he partners with wine-makers around the globe and has actually begun his own vineyard (it isn’t producing grapes yet). Central Coast California Ros é and Sauvignon Blanc, a Tuscan red white wine, and a Moscato di Asti from Piedmont are currently on the menu.
The store has a tasting space that McCoy refers to as a speakeasy ambiance that integrates white wine and chocolate for a 90-minute tasting session that consists of a chocolate-infused charcuterie board. “People have actually constantly had this natural love in between chocolate and white wine,” McCoy states. “When individuals come here, we begin to explain all the synergies. Both plants are seasonal plants, and both fruits are chosen off the plants in the very same method. Both are fermented near to where they are chosen. There’s a great deal of resemblances in between the items.”
The chocolate factory opened in April, and they were open to the general public inMay The chocolate is being offered in a number of location wineries, and the company likewise introduced a white wine club. The website introduced this fall.
McCoy is still keeping his consulting work, where his business has a great deal of health care customers however is broadening to other markets. He concentrates on storytelling and takes pleasure in assisting companies craft their message and target an audience.
He is utilizing those very same abilities today, bringing chocolate and white wine together with Hill Country Chocolate and DKMCellars “It’s not simply love; it’s chemistry,” he states. “Both of these items were controlled and changed in similar method, and they wound up having a distinct capability to fit.”
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Will is the handling editor for D CEO publication and the editor of D CEOHealthcare He’s blogged about health care …
