If you think $8 to $10 is too much to pay for a bar of chocolate, then you probably haven’t tasted Mast Brothers. Rick and Michael (the brothers, originally from Iowa) are appropriately bearded for their role as leaders in the Brooklyn artisan movement. Together they have led the charge with their old-ways-done-new approach to chocolateering. By sourcing cocoa beans from single-origin, small-farm sources in Ecuador, Madagascar, and Venezuela, and processing them by hand, the Mast boys have become renowned for their small batches and sophisticated flavors. Their tasting room, a rustic-chic area attached to the factory, where the deep, dark magic happens, attracts chocolate fiends from all around who gather at a long kitchen table to sample the goods. Each bar is wrapped in its own thick-paper wrapper featuring classy, vintage-looking paisley and floral prints. Their most popular flavors include sea salt from Maine, organic almonds from California, and organic maple syrup from upstate New York. Perhaps the most transporting part of the visit is a glimpse into the process by seeing unhusked chocolate nibs ground with a granite roller.
