Henderson man develops chocolate drink that’s brewed like coffee

About five years ago, the invention of a hot chocolate drink known as Choffy was just a dream, literally.

Henderson resident Jason Vanderhoven, Choffy's inventor, went to bed one night and dreamed he was sitting in a house in Brazil.

"There was a lady there, and she was serving me a hot beverage," Vanderhoven said. "I was concerned at first because I thought it was coffee, which I don't drink. I took a drink of it, and it was like a dam holding back this flood of visual memory had broke. I could see the product and the company. I saw it all. I realized I had produced this product and it made it to Brazil."

Vanderhoven sprang back to life and sat straight up in bed, pondering his dream.

He spent the next five years proving that it wasn't just a dream but a premonition.

The beverage Vanderhoven envisioned was Choffy, in which cocoa beans are brewed like coffee.

Unlike other chocolate drinks, the product is not infused with sugar or other sweeteners.

"It is packed with antioxidants," Vanderhoven said.

Even though it has some caffeine , Vanderhoven said Choffy is loaded with the chemical theobromine, which helps stimulate blood flow.

Like coffee, people can drink it straight, put it over ice, serve it with cream and sugar or douse it with additional flavors.

Vanderhoven drinks his Choffy depending on his mood and the weather. Some days it might be with ice and a little agave syrup, while other days it might be hot with a little creamer.

Choffy has come a long way from its first taste, which Vanderhoven and his wife found intolerable.

"My father-in-law, who had a more distinguished palate for hot beverages, said it had potential," Vanderhoven said.

So Vanderhoven continued his work.

"Until my wife kicked me out of the kitchen," he said.

From the kitchen, Vanderhoven moved to the backyard, to the garage and eventually to a larger facility in Oregon.

Vanderhoven tried to keep manufacturing here, but he couldn't find a local company to roast his cocoa beans.

In addition to the new facility, Vanderhoven also took on a new business partner, Jason Sherwood, to help get the product off the ground.

"Jason (Vanderhoven) always has something brewing, no pun intended," Sherwood said. "He is always thinking of a way to make things better."

Because of that vision, Sherwood was enticed to join the Choffy business.

The product launched two years ago. Since then, it has slowly gained attention, even being mentioned on "The Dr. Oz Show" during the summer .

"That exposure on Dr. Oz has helped," Sherwood said. "He introduced us to the audience and endorsed us as a product that has good health benefits."

To offer the freshest quality, Vanderhoven said, the batches are made to order, not mass-produced.

People can order anything from a 12-ounce bag to a 5- pound bag from $15 to $85.

After trying 42 cocoa beans, most from different countries and regions, Vanderhoven settled on two beans: one from Ivory Coast and one from the Dominican Republic.

All the beans in a Choffy drink come from a single estate, Vanderhoven said, meaning the beans aren't mixed.

"Not all beans are created equal," Vanderhoven said. "Each bean has a really unique taste."

A third bean from New Guinea launched Nov. 1 .

"We pay a little bit extra to make sure the product is fair trade so we don't undercut the farm worker," Vanderhoven said.

One Henderson restaurant, Bread and Butter, 10940 S. Eastern Ave., offers the drink.

As the product gains recognition, Vanderhoven hopes Choffy will spread. But as orders keep pouring in and Choffy becomes more popular, Vanderhoven inches his way closer to a 5-year-old dream.

To purchase Choffy or get more information, visit drinkchoffy.com.

Contact Henderson/Anthem View reporter Michael Lyle at mlyle@viewnews.com or 387-5201.