Last Thursday afternoon there was a high temperature of a whopping -11 degrees F. Despite the cold weather, many folks in the Fargo/Moorhead area partook in the event called "The Coffee and Coco Crawl."

It was like a bar crawl, except instead of going bar to bar in search of deals, there was a total of 22 shops that handed out free samples of coffee or hot coco to those participating; including my amazing partner in crime, Cash Mitchell, and myself.

It started at the Black Building on Broadway in Downtown Fargo, where we paid a fee of ten dollars each; $10 for 22 free samples of hot chocolate? Yes please! We were given a wristband, a free downtown Fargo mug (pictured below), along with a map of all the shops in on the event for us to go to.

Unfortunately, we could only make it to eight of the 22 shops, but it was still a very fun time. Of the eight places we tried, I narrowed it down to my top three favorites. Starting with third place, here are both my opinions and some rather enthusiastically helpful quotes from Cash when he was asked for his thoughts:

3: SMILING MOOSE DELI

Mary: I thought this sample was very good. It wasn't too watery or too sweet - it was an appropriate blend of the two. Although, in my opinion, I would stick to ordering their Ridgeline Reuben sandwich rather than the hot coco they served.

Cash: "It was warm."

By this quote, I gather that he very much enjoyed the temperature as it was not too hot and not too cold; it was just right. Maybe I'm dating Goldilocks. Cash also believes this sample should be in second place, however, he is not the one writing this article.

2: PROPER & O' DAY CACHE

Mary: The two buildings were connected, so it was almost as if there were two options of coco in one spot! One of the samples I tried was the S'mores sample from Proper. My cup was filled with some hot coco, along with a dollop of marshmallow cream and some crushed graham crackers. It was very tasty, however, I do not remember the sample the most from this location. I was more wowed by the products in the two stores than by the sample. I even spent three dollars on a pen because it looked so interesting and I loved the way it fit in my hand!

Cash: "It was interesting."

Cash had both the S'mores sample from Proper and the coconut sample from O' day Cache. By "interesting" Cash is referring to the coconut sample because he believes it was a different flavor added to the coco than the typical peppermint or cinnamon. Although this flavor seemed interesting to him, Cash really appreciated the time and effort the barista put into making his S'mores sample for him, "it was like she really cared." So for the next present I give him, I will be taking more time than I need to to make a tiny cup of coco for him. #I'mNotAJealousGirlfriendAtAll

1: MOXIE JAVA

Mary: This sample got first place in my book because, in my opinion, it simply tasted the best. It was the only sample I had that tempted me to ask for more! It was a subtle rich chocolatey taste with whipped cream (my favorite) and some caramel on top. The caramel really added to the sweetness in a beautiful way without overwhelming my taste buds. I would definitely go back for more.

Cash: "There was caramel in it."

Cash and I both agree that this sample deserves first place and was by far the best coco we had out of the eight samples we tried that afternoon. As we can tell by his quote, Cash really liked the added sweetness from the caramel that was put in the coco. In fact not only did he enjoy it, but he presumes it was a "10/10" or eight out of eight in this case, and he "would have again."

For those of you who missed the Coffee and Coco Crawl this year, have no fear! This year was the second annual event and will more than likely be returning next year! Whether you're alone, with a special someone, or even a group of friends, I definitely recommend trying it out! Wouldn't you agree, Cash? "Yup."