So, um, apparently, this chocolate snowman named Carl is a big deal. At least a big enough deal to secure his place in Neiman Marcus's legendary Christmas Book holiday gift guide.
We know, we know — Halloween isn't even over yet. But even though Carl the Snowman is billed as a 6-inch-tall "drinking chocolate" (*shudders*), he sounds mostly all right.
Dallas-based Kate Weiser Chocolate introduced Carl in 2014, and he's been in high demand ever since. Founder Kate Weiser and her team now churn out more than 35,000 helpings of the holiday treat by hand each year. We're not sure why Carl's follower count on Instagram is under 600 if he's sooo popular, but whatevs.
Carl the Snowman is made from three ingredients that're key to hot cocoa: the mix, dark chocolate and plenty of mini-marshmallows. All you have to do is melt him in a pot of milk over medium heat, then get to sipping with a group of four to five people.
You could even spike him with some booze if you wanted.
Starting Nov. 1, Tampa shoppers can score their own Carls from the Neiman Marcus store at International Plaza. His price tag is $38.
"He has become a holiday staple for so many families," Weiser said in a statement, "and we are excited more people across the U.S. get to bring him home this holiday season."
This article appears in Oct 11-18, 2018.