All About Alice

This is definitely not your grandmother’s Ovaltine. Alice Chocolate, the latest export from the quiet, medieval city of Bern (once known as the center of international chocolate culture) is much more Kate Moss than Swiss Miss.

Poised to be the premier, 21st century, epicurean chocolate brand, Alice has set up shop in the glacial valleys near this sleepy, Swiss capital. The brand is steeped in old world tradition - its chocolatier’s grandfather opened his first shop in Bern in 1919. Yet, the company is cutting edge with its innovative production techniques that allow for Criollo, the most rare and expensive cocoa on the market, to be harvested from the Amazonian rain-forest using fair and sustainable methods. The result? Dark chocolate with a delicate yet complex flavor and rich secondary notes. In other words, unbelievably delicious.

The most striking element of Alice is the packaging. The chocolate comes in a slim, minimalist sliding case that holds individually foil wrapped bars stamped with the brand’s icon - a silhouette of a girl’s face. We’d expect to find Alice in the Mercer Hotel or given as favors at the birthday party of a super-chic fashionista. For now, the Dual Sliding Case of 5 x 7 gram bars ($30) is available in New York City at the men’s clothing store, BBlessing in the Lower East Side, at Kiki de Montparnasse in Soho and soon online at www.alicechocolate.com. Global distribution is imminent and there is discussion about opening a flagship store in Asia.

Alice’s founders, Steven Mark Klein and Michael Felber of the brand consultancy Lone Panther, hope to position Alice - whose name was inspired by Alice Pleasance Liddell, Alice B. Toklas, Alice Waters and Alice Schober - as the chocolate brand on the mythical list of “all time classics” which includes Chanel No 5, Patek Philippe Calatrava and the Kelly Bag by Hermes.

Until then, we’re just happy to be able to indulge in some affordable luxury…

photo from Absolute magazine