Quintessential Chocolates Finds Success in Texas with Boozy Chocolate
Chocolates photo courtesy of Chocolat
I will never forget the first time I sampled Lecia Duke’s delicious cast liquid center chocolates, inside her small Fredericksburg, Texas shop, Chocolat. As instructed, I allowed the dark chocolate shell to slowly melt on my tongue until it suddenly burst open. What followed was a flood of luscious ruby port. I couldn’t wait to taste more. While liquor filled chocolates are a popular confection in Europe, they are a rarity in the U.S. and Duke’s mastery of an over 200-year-old technique for making them has contributed to her success.
History of Quintessential Chocolates
Lecia Duke
2024 will mark 40 years since “Chocolate Diva” Duke, first opened Quintessential Chocolates. Her business began in Nashville, before it moved with her multiple times and finally ‘landed’ in the current Fredericksburg location. But Duke’s chocolate roots are far older. Explains Duke, “My French grandmother started teaching me to make chocolates and confections when I was only eight years old. We made the much coveted “box of Granny’s Christmas candies” for everyone, under the tree. I was so happy to be part of that. And I brought liqueur chocolates home from Europe at age 15.”
Boozy Chocolate
Garrison Bourbon 24 piece box photo courtesy of Chocolat
An architecture school graduate and graphic designer, Duke started working with Lindt chocolate before forming her company and contacted them to learn how to make liqueur praline, eventually working with Art Oberholzer, their Swiss master chocolatier. Says Duke, “When he found out my client was Jack Daniels/Brown Foreman, and what I wanted to do, he offered to come train me at my shop. He was amazing and wonderful, and we remained in touch for the rest of his life. But I soon found out it was illegal to make liquid center chocolates in Tennessee.”
The Texas native-and her daughter-eventually found their way back to her home state. Today multiple wines, spirits, and non-alcoholic ingredients fill Duke’s signature 50 percent cacao liquid center chocolates with decadent flavor. These liquid center chocolates favor flavors Americans drink, with bourbons, whiskeys, rums, tequilas, vodkas, liqueurs, wines, non-alcohols (including coffees and fruit nectars), and even cocktails.
Says Duke, “To our knowledge we happen to be the only chocolatier that creates the Liquid Center Chocolates (LIMOBA process) and ships nationally and internationally,” she says. “The number one question we hear is how do we get the liquid inside? Is it injected? “People are amazed to find out that we form the sugar shell (just a few crystals thick) on the surface of the liquid, trapping it inside. This process was perfected almost 225 years ago, by Rudolph Sprungli in Switzerland.”
She adds “We offer about 22 liquors/liqueurs, seven wines, and five non-alcohols or about 34 total in our line – not counting 40-plus private label chocolates that we make for other distilleries and vineyards,” Duke says. “Last year we produced over 308,312 pieces by hand.
Customers especially like Tequila Almendrado Liqueur (from Mexico) and Five Farms Irish Cream Liqueur (from County Cork, Ireland) liquid center chocolates, as well as English Toffee. Other liqueur in chocolate currently available includes amaretto, Garrison Brothers bourbon and Republic tequila.
Barks, Truffles, Caramels, Clusters and More
Duke’s product line is expansive and so is her reach. “We also make many thousands of pounds of over 225 additional individual items including barks, truffles, colettes, caramels, creams, nut clusters, turtles, and other creative endeavors, daily,” Duke says.
She estimates more than 80% of Quintessential Chocolate confections ship beyond Fredericksburg. “I want people to experience the best handmade artisan chocolates, and the cleanest, healthiest chocolates, with something for everyone-whether diabetic, vegan or allergen- sensitive,” she explains.
Duke is excited to work with their latest piece of chocolate making equipment, which arrived in early April, the new semi-enrobing line from Tomric. Shares Duke, “It’s made in Italy and customized for us, so we can enrobe our liquid centers as well as truffles, nut clusters and English Toffee on the line. The new line can be run by two people instead of four increasing our productivity immensely.”
Creating Multigenerational Chocolate Memories
Chocolat shop photo courtesy of Chocolat
Duke loves to help create fond memories and smiles with her chocolate creations. Inside Chocolat, visitors admire large wood-trimmed display cases and brilliant turquoise paint accents, and a massive mural depicts chocolate origin stories. Small tables invite customers to linger as they taste.
And customers do linger. Says Duke, “I wanted to recreate a European style chocolate shop - a place where grandparents could take their grandkids for a memorable experience, as I remember my Papa Joe taking us to a memorable shop,” she adds, “But I was blown away by a middle-aged man who came up to thank me for the wonderful family memories he had here. I immediately assumed it was his grandchildren and asked their ages. He said no, it was the last few years of his father’s time in a local nursing home. It was his greatest pleasure to come to our store on Sunday outings with his son. Well, I burst into tears, and it was hugs all around!”