After a series of medical issues, Ali Lazowski couldn’t drink traditional hot chocolate, so she made her own and built a business. What started out in her West Hartford kitchen, is now in 2000 stores nationwide.  

By Melissa Cole

If you had asked Ali Lazowski 10 years ago whether she’d be making a career out of a healthier hot chocolate, she would have thought you were crazy.

“I never thought it would be a career, really. And here we are.”

Ali’s journey started in her early 20s, when her health took a sudden turn.

“We really didn’t know what was going on. I thought I was super depressed. I couldn’t get out of bed. I was exhausted,” she said. “I ended up in the ER with this high fever, and that kicked off 10-plus years of seeing different doctors.”

Over time, she was diagnosed with cancer, Lyme disease, and other autoimmune conditions, which led to surgeries and hospital stays.

“I was having horrible IBS and IBD, and every time I ate, I was in so much pain. So we looked at all of that, and that’s really what led me to testing for gluten, which it turns out I’m intolerant to, and testing for dairy, which it turns out I’m intolerant to as well. And the list goes on.”

Ali’s goal was to lower the inflammation in her body, but she still wanted to enjoy a cozy cup of hot chocolate once in a while. She had often sipped it while going from one (often chilly) doctor’s office to the next. But when she read the ingredients on the back of a traditional mix, she knew she wanted to do better for her body. So she started making her own with better-for-you ingredients, carrying it in little snack bags so she could make a hot cup when she was out and about.

“I was at a support group for women with cancer, and we were talking about clean eating, and I said, ‘Oh, I just made this hot chocolate.’ Everyone was trying it, and they were like, ‘Oh my god, I would buy this. Where can I get this? Can you give me the recipe?’”

In that moment, she knew she had something.

Bare Life hot chocolate started as a one-woman operation, with Ali making, filling and shipping every order from her kitchen. Today, years later, it’s sold in 2,000 stores nationwide, and a fulfillment center handles the packaging and shipping. The hot chocolate is dairy-free, refined-sugar-free, vegan, gluten-free, and made with organic ingredients like coconut sugar, coconut milk, and cacao. Ali likes to say it’s free from everything but the taste.

“We’re in HomeGoods nationwide, which is really exciting. They have our cute little glass jars for the holidays. We’re in all the Whole Foods in New England, and we’re in a bunch of ShopRites,” she said. “We’re in Hartford Hospital now, which I don’t know technically counts as a store, but it’s pretty exciting to be in a hospital.”

Bare Life comes in three flavors: original, peppermint, and pumpkin spice. There’s also a frozen hot chocolate, which is the original mixed in a blender instead of with hot water.

“It’s kind of like our summer hot chocolate, if you will,” Ali said.

You can also bake with it. Pancakes, muffins, and brownies are just a few of the options.

“The most fun part for me is seeing other people enjoy it, and even a little bit of the shock some people get,” she said. “People almost wonder, is this too healthy to taste good? And then they’re surprised. They’re like, ‘Oh, this is actually amazing.’ It can be good without all the processed chemicals.”

Customers write Ali letters thanking her for her hot chocolate. She meets others in person at events like the Wicked Gluten Free festival in Connecticut.

“A woman told me she hadn’t had hot chocolate in 40 years because she was diabetic and allergic to dairy, and she was crying, and it made me cry,” Ali said. “I’m going to cry now. It was the most special moment.”

Ali also credits RESET, a Hartford nonprofit that supports small businesses, with helping to launch Bare Life. Her advice for young people with a business idea?

“You have to love whatever you’re doing,” she said. “It shouldn’t be something you think you can get rich quick off of, because you’re not going to. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”

And that’s what gives Ali the motivation to keep going. The love of creating a product that everyone can enjoy, and the nostalgia it holds.

“Think about when you’re having a snowball fight with your siblings, or you’re coming inside after skiing,” she said. “It’s such a memory-tied food.”

You can learn more and order at https://www.eatbarelife.com/. And again, Bare Life Hot Chocolate is in many local grocery stores as well as Homegoods.

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