Chocolate, you sweet, irresistible substance of a thing, you. Thank GOD chocolate is vegan, or else I probably would never have gone veg!
It’s funny when people ask me whether chocolate is indeed vegan. It’s like asking whether coffee is veg, alcohol is veg, or oreos are veg (well, the latter I can understand, since oreos are not what you think of when you think “vegan,” but there you go!).
Anyway, during my trip upstate to glorious New Paltz (I highly recommend taking a decompressing trip when NYC is draining your “cosmic energy” or whateverthefuck trendy vegans say now), I made sure to make a pitstop at this vegan chocolate lover’s paradise. Check out my finds below!
![kingston new paltz cottekill vegan chao trip_0179](http://www.veganchao.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/kingston-new-paltz-cottekill-vegan-chao-trip_0179.jpg)
![kingston new paltz cottekill vegan chao trip_0184](http://www.veganchao.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/kingston-new-paltz-cottekill-vegan-chao-trip_0181.jpg)
![kingston new paltz cottekill vegan chao trip_0183](http://www.veganchao.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/kingston-new-paltz-cottekill-vegan-chao-trip_0183.jpg)
One of the many reasons why I love this brand is due to their commitment to the environment and the dedication of using locally sourced ingredients. The below excerpt is from their ABOUT page:
We are a completely vegan business using 100% post-consumer recycled paper and packing materials. We compost all kitchen scraps, use all eco-friendly cleaning products, and generate almost no waste! We make all our chocolates in our lovingly renovated chocolate shop, carefully built with the most eco-friendly materials our budget could buy. We walk the walk!
So what did I end up buying? Check out my chocolate haul, below:
![kingston new paltz cottekill vegan chao trip_0444](http://www.veganchao.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/kingston-new-paltz-cottekill-vegan-chao-trip_0444.jpg)
![kingston new paltz cottekill vegan chao trip_0449](http://www.veganchao.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/kingston-new-paltz-cottekill-vegan-chao-trip_0449.jpg)
![](http://www.veganchao.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/kingston-new-paltz-cottekill-vegan-chao-trip_0463.jpg)
![kingston new paltz cottekill vegan chao trip_0452](http://www.veganchao.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/kingston-new-paltz-cottekill-vegan-chao-trip_0452.jpg)
![kingston new paltz cottekill vegan chao trip_0451](http://www.veganchao.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/kingston-new-paltz-cottekill-vegan-chao-trip_0451.jpg)
![kingston new paltz cottekill vegan chao trip_0456](http://www.veganchao.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/kingston-new-paltz-cottekill-vegan-chao-trip_0456.jpg)
![kingston new paltz cottekill vegan chao trip_0446](http://www.veganchao.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/kingston-new-paltz-cottekill-vegan-chao-trip_0446.jpg)
Buying ethical can get pricey, though! Check out my receipt from the haul:
![Lagusta Luscious Receipt](http://www.veganchao.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Lagusta-Luscious-Receipt.png)
Overall, I enjoy supporting small businesses (though the conundrum becomes: if they go big, do they lose their charm?) with my patronage and insatiable chocolate cravings. Who knows? Maybe if I eat enough chocolate, I’ll become sweeter too :)
Images by me and Juan del Rio.