Nico Silverman of Diego's Chocolate

Diego Hernandez started Diego's Chocolate at Lake Atitlan in Guatemala in 1990. Diego and his family are of Tz’utujil Mayan heritage, and he adapted his abuela's sipping chocolate recipe into a unique format—rolls of untempered chocolate, often made with unique inclusions. All of the cacao and inclusions are grown in Guatemala.In this episode, we talk with Nico Silverman, Diego's U.S. representative. We talk about Diego's story, the details of their chocolate, and Nico's experiences with pairing Diego's Chocolate rolls with craft beer and craft cider in New York state.Listen to the end of the episode for an exclusive discount code for 20% everything on the Diego's shop!You can learn more about Diego's on their website and follow them on Instagram.You can also learn more about Wolf Hollow Brewing, Dancing Grain Farm Brewery, and Nine Pin Ciders.Guest:Nico Silverman—While employed at Etsy.com in 2012, Nico stumbled into the world of craft chocolate and discovered Diego's unique chocolate rolls, a revelation that changed his trajectory. Drawing from a background in nonprofit development and project management, he saw an opportunity to create meaningful impact through ethical commerce. Since then, he has brought Diego's Chocolate to thousands of consumers across North America while creating jobs in Guatemala where each roll is handcrafted and packaged. His work bridges traditional Mayan chocolate-making with conscious consumers, preserving ancestral practices while building economic opportunities for artisan and farming communities. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together.Follow Bean to Barstool on social media!InstagramFacebookPinterestSign up for host David Nilsen's beer newsletter for regular beer musings, and the Bean to Barstool newsletter for pairings, collaborations, and maker profiles.