Club members receive a curated selection of dark chocolate each month, shipped conveniently to their doorstep. Membership includes invitations to member-only events, including a live, virtual Meet the Maker conversation each month with the featured maker.

During the Charter Membership Period we are only offering dark chocolate memberships. We expect to add additional options, such as milk chocolate, in the future. For now, all members will receive deliveries of dark chocolate.

Once a month. We ship orders the second week of the month. Depending upon where you are located and the time of year, your order will arrive within a week of shipment.

No. We’re inviting you to join us on a delicious journey of chocolate discovery, one that gives you the opportunity to try new chocolates that you might not find on your own. We lovingly curate each month’s selection of chocolate to bring fresh and unexpected flavors to your doorstep.

You will receive 4-6 dark chocolates each month. Your monthly delivery will include a selection of single-origin and inclusion bars, and it may include drinking chocolate or a chocolate-covered treat. Our selection depends on the featured maker, what they offer and what we want to share with you from their collection.

We source our products from different chocolate makers who manufacture a range of products using shared equipment. Depending on your dietary restrictions, there may be some products that are suitable for your consumption and some that are not. Feel free to reach out to us directly at info@chocolateexplorersclub.com and we’d be happy to answer your specific dietary questions!

We pay close attention to the weather at the destinations where we ship chocolate. We ship to hotter climates using frozen gel packs and insulation, when appropriate, to ensure your chocolate arrives in pristine condition. If you have received chocolate that is not in excellent condition, please let us know by emailing us at info@chocolateexplorersclub.com.

We ship orders the second week of the month. Depending upon where you are located and the time of year, your order will arrive within a week of shipment. We recommend you find someone to take in your shipment if you will not be home. If you are not able to make alternative arrangements, please contact us at info@chocolateexplorersclub.com. In the future we expect to add a “Pause” feature to our memberships for occasions when you’re out of town, but for the Charter Membership period we are not able to offer this service.

Yes! At checkout you’ll be able to provide the name and shipping address of the recipient along with a gift message.

The Chocolate Explorers Club™ is the evolution of Chocolopolis, a beloved Seattle chocolate shop that closed its doors in 2020. Founded by Lauren Adler, Chocolopolis was known for its carefully curated selection of craft chocolates from around the world. With over 15 years of experience in the specialty chocolate industry, Lauren is our guide on this delicious journey. Lauren personally selects each chocolate in your monthly delivery, ensuring a diverse and exciting range of flavors, origins, and styles.

We prioritize chocolates that are made from high-quality cacao beans, crafted by skilled artisans who prioritize flavor and quality and are made with cacao that is ethically sourced and traded.

During the Charter Membership period we do not offer cancellations. Charter Membership lasts through February 2025 and includes 3 months of deliveries, paid in advance at the time you join. We are a new, small business and have invested in chocolate based on your 3-month commitment as a Charter Member. We expect that after our Charter Membership period ends we will offer the ability to cancel your membership.

Not during the Charter Membership period. Charter Membership lasts through February 2025 and includes 3 months of deliveries, paid in advance at the time you join. We are a new, small business and have invested in chocolate based on your 3-month commitment as a Charter Member. We expect that after our Charter Membership period ends we will offer the ability to pause your membership if you need to skip a month.

During the Charter Membership Period we are only able to ship to the continental US and Alaska. We are not able to ship to Hawaii or Puerto Rico because of the significant cost of hot-weather shipping and the likelihood that the chocolate will melt in transit.

We do not at this time. The logistics of shipping chocolate are significant, particularly across international borders. We would love to be able to expand the club internationally and hope to be able to do so in the future. At this time we only offer subscriptions in the continental US and Alaska.

Cacao that is “ethically sourced” is a complex topic that means different things to different people. The craft chocolate makers and chocolatiers we work with have a shorter supply chain that enables them to have a more direct relationship with cacao producers. This more direct-trade relationship usually translates into the cacao producers commanding a higher price for their cacao*, resulting in a living wage for them and their families. Supporting a living wage is the best way to ensure that children are attending school instead of working on the farm.

The chocolate makers and chocolatiers we work with source their cacao from cooperatives that are known to have the most ethical practices on the market. In many cases you’ll see similar origins among the different makers. This similarity is a result of supply chains that have been created to support ethical trade between quality cacao producers and craft chocolate makers. While the origins may be similar, the flavors and approaches of each craft chocolate maker are different, resulting in a unique flavor experience.

 *Note on prices: Current commodity prices for cacao are at record highs. While craft chocolate makers once paid 2x-3x the world market rate for better quality cacao originating from a shorter supply chain, the current high commodity prices mean the price differential between specialty cacao and commodity cacao has decreased. It also means the price of chocolate is rising. High commodity prices are a result of poor harvests related to climate change that have impacted many cacao-growing regions, particularly the Ivory Coast and Ghana, which, together, produce 60% of the world’s commodity cacao. While commodity and specialty cacao are different, the market impacts of these historic prices have impacted both markets.

Charter Members are our first members. They’re the chocolate-loving pioneers whose support is critical to building our community. Charter Members are willing to make a 3-month commitment to membership, and in return they have a say in the community features we offer. We expect to offer special events for Charter Members throughout the life of The Chocolate Explorers Club™. We’re limiting the number of Charter memberships available. Sign-ups will close when we reach that number or on December 11, whichever comes first.

 The “Charter Membership Period” is a 3-month subscription commitment running from December 2024 through February 2025. Charter Members are billed for three months at the time of sign up and will receive deliveries of chocolate in December 2024, January 2025 and February 2025.

The Chocolate Explorers Club™ is the evolution of Chocolopolis, a beloved Seattle chocolate shop that closed its doors in 2020. Founded by Lauren Adler, Chocolopolis was known for its carefully curated selection of craft chocolates from around the world.

 Now, we're bringing that same expertise and passion for fine chocolate directly to your doorstep. The Chocolate Explorers Club™ combines the curated selection you loved at Chocolopolis with the convenience of home delivery and the excitement of a global chocolate community.

With over 15 years of experience in the specialty chocolate industry, Lauren is our guide on this delicious journey. As our Chief Chocophile, Lauren personally selects each chocolate in your monthly delivery, ensuring a diverse and exciting range of flavors, origins, and styles.

During the Charter Membership period we will email Charter Members a Zoom link and a calendar invite to join us for the virtual Meet the Maker event. We expect that in the future there will be a member login section where you can join us directly.

During the Charter Membership period we will email Charter Members a Zoom link and a calendar invite to join us for the virtual Meet the Maker event. We expect that in the future there will be a member login section where you can join us directly.

Community is one of the touchstones of The Chocolate Explorers Club™. Our Founder, Lauren Adler, was pleasantly surprised by the way her customers at Chocolopolis connected with each other over chocolate, often in ways she never imagined. We hope to recreate the opportunity for you to connect with other chocolate loving members in a virtual environment (to start) with the goal of expanding to in-person events in the future. We expect that in the very near future we will have a community section of our website where members can login to access community-only events and connect with other members.

We are relying on our members to help us build our community in ways that are meaningful to them. Reach out to us to let us know what you’d like to see! info@chocolateexplorersclub.com