A Sweet Addition to Main Street: Mt. Princeton Chocolate

OUR COMMUNITY

by: Dustin Heron Urban ChocolateSelection

Ever tried making 330 pounds of fudge at once? Beth Albright, owner of Mt. Princeton Chocolate at 109 East Main Street, does it regularly, and wow is she good at it. Her 15-or-so fudge flavors range from Rocky Road to Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Cappuccino swirl. I for one am partial to the plain chocolate fudge which melts in your mouth with a creamy consistency subtly reminiscent of caramel.

And then there are the chocolates which are made by a Belgian chocolateer in Castle Rock and contain no artificial colorings, flavorings, preservatives or trans fats. Again, I’m partial to the most chocolaty offering, which in this case is the 70% Cacao. MPCstorefront

But other chocolates range from white chocolate-coated hazelnut orange, cherry cordial and nougat to coffee with nuts and white chocolate, dark chocolate-coated mocha espresso and milk chocolates molded into wine corks. If chocolate is not your preferred method of sugar ingestion, Mt. Princeton Chocolate also carries an array of candies made by the Denver-based Hammond Candies.

In perhaps a telling turn of events, Mt. Princeton Chocolate is located in the building formerly occupied by Countrywide Mortgage Company. “I think it’s a good time to have a retail shop in Buena Vista,” Beth told me. “And I had an opportunity to have this location which I believe is one of the top locations in town.” Not only does Mt. Princeton Chocolate fill a niche in the Buena Vista retail market, the store’s hours bring action to Main Street in the evening. Open from noon until 8pm, seven days per week, Beth’s intention behind the shop is to “offer something for locals and tourists alike. It’s a nice place to come and buy gifts for anniversaries, birthdays, holidays, weddings and more.”

Indeed, Mt. Princeton Chocolate offers more than just sweets. Cards for all occasions, many made by local artists, ChocFlowers

line the shelves. Ornate hummingbird and lizard broach boxes made by a woman in Longmont adorn the shelves while fine ceramics made by a potter out of Durango are for sale. You can buy honey from Monte Vista, fudge mix, Mt. Princeton Chocolate mugs and beautiful wind chimes cut, welded, powder-coated, painted and finished by Beth’s niece. “I’m trying to focus on local and unusual,” Beth told me. “We’ve been in business for three months, and we’ve had a wonderful response. There’s more and better coming. I consider us a work in progress.” That may be, but Mt. Princeton Chocolate is already well worth a visit or three, and the dozen-or-so customers who passed _URB0026

through the store during my visit seemed to agree. Whether you’re looking for a unique gift or a chocolate fix, be sure to stop by Mt. Princeton Chocolate and show this sweet new business your appreciation. You won’t regret it.

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