It’s hard not to love chocolate milk. Even for those of us who have never understood the appeal of a tall glass of plain white milk, there’s something about the creamy, rich sweetness of chocolate milk that scratches a deep-seated itch. To many, it tastes like childhood.

Now that you’re an adult, you can have as much chocolate milk as you want. And even if your waistline doesn’t agree, you may want to find the best brand out there for your kids. Whatever the reason, there are plenty of chocolate milk brands and methods to choose from. We’ll try to give you some of the best in the business here today.

Pre-Mixed Grocery Store Brands

The easiest way to buy chocolate milk is pre-mixed, in the bottle. Any grocery store large enough to have a dairy aisle will sell at least a couple of varieties. To our taste buds, Prairie Farms and Promised Land both have the perfect amount of chocolate (though we’ve even been known to go with Nesquik or Hershey’s in a pinch). The key here seems to be fat content and chocolate quality. Any fat content lower than 2% just doesn’t have the delectable flavor and mouthfeel you’re looking for. Too many cheap sweeteners (beware corn syrup) tend to leave you feeling yucky. The perfect solution (in this writer’s opinion) is whole organic milk with real chocolate and natural sugar sweetener. It may not be the healthiest beverage you could guzzle, but we’re talking about chocolate milk here. You have to take the fat with the flavor.

Syrups

You really can’t go wrong with Hershey’s chocolate syrup mixed into a milk of your choice. Maybe it’s because the Hershey’s brand has been so closely associated with chocolate flavor since our collective infancy, but it produces a chocolate milk that “just tastes right.” Not all will agree, but there are plenty of chocolate syrup alternatives, including organics. The key here seems to be dosing your milk with enough chocolate to really pack a punch. It can be unnerving to see the sheer volume of syrup required to make the perfect blend, but go with your tongue on this one. Again, we drink chocolate milk because it’s delicious, not because it’s a health tonic.

The DIY Approach

When we get into the DIY chocolate milk options, you’ll find you’re able to craft the perfect milk for your diet and palette. Want to make your chocolate milk with oat milk? Want to melt down authentic Oaxacan chocolate until you’ve made a sweet, spicy syrup all your own? The possibilities are truly endless. Making DIY chocolate milk may take a little extra time, but this is the best option for those who want quality and nuance of flavor above all else. Start with milk you trust (local, whole, and organic if possible!). Next, select a high quality dry chocolate, in ground cocoa or bar form. Now make a syrup by mixing a natural sweetener with a little bit of water, then melting the chocolate into the mix until the resulting syrup fits your taste. Make sure it’s really chocolatey because when you blend it with dairy, that flavor has to stand up to the milk.

All of this writing has this writer in the mood for a glass of chocolate milk. Fortunately, (no foolin’) there is a bottle of syrup and a carton of almond milk in the refrigerator. Perhaps you can say the same. Even if you have to run to the market, make time for chocolate milk in your near future. Whether it’s been hours or years since your last glass, it’ll bring a deep satisfaction that only creamy cocoa can.