Markham & Fitz Opens the Back of House for a Chocolate and Whiskey Tasting

Markham & Fitz has been making craft chocolate in Bentonville for years, but most people only ever see the finished bar. This July, they’re hosting a guided chocolate and whiskey tasting and pulling back the curtain on the rest of it.

THE DEETS

Train Your Palate One Square at a Time

Most of us eat chocolate the way we check our phones. Fast, on autopilot, barely registering it. This event breaks that habit. A guide walks you through how to actually taste a bar, noticing what changes as it melts, and then you get to try a whiskey alongside it to see what happens. First-timers often walk in expecting a casual snack situation and walk out talking about fruit notes and finish length. The R&D bars are a bonus: those are the experimental batches Markham & Fitz uses to explore flavor creation, so you get a look at how new ideas come together before they’re finalized.

Go Behind the Bars

Your ticket also gets you into the back of house for a look at how the chocolate is actually made. That’s where the cacao tastings happen too. You’ll sample the beans before they’ve been turned into anything, which sounds like a small thing until you do it and realize how much changes between what you’re holding and what ends up on the shelf.

Bring Your Dad, Bring Anyone

Markham & Fitz originally planned this as a Father’s Day event, so yes, it’s a solid option if your dad is into good chocolate and a pour of something interesting.

That said, it’s open to everyone, so bring whoever you want. Just know these events can be rescheduled or cancelled if tickets don’t sell, so don’t wait on it.