Halo Farm’s chocolate milk might be nature’s perfect food

I was recently prescribed an antibiotic, and the bottle told me to take with “food or milk.”

I immediately drove to Halo Farms and bought a half-gallon of Halo chocolate milk. Obviously. I mean, if I’m going to coat my stomach, I’m going to do it right.

Listen: If you’ve never had the opportunity to sample this chocolate milk, you should take the drive, spend the $2.51, and treat yourself to…

“It’s like liquid ice cream,” said Yamilka Eastburn of Levittown.

She comes over the bridge once a week to buy three cartons of it for her two kids and her husband. “It barely lasts the week,” she said. Another shopper, Christine, also buys it for her two kids and her husband. Only caveat? She only permits one carton a week. “Because of the sugar,” she said. I can only imagine the fights in that house. A few things: I never drink milk. As in, never. Once every so often my wife buys the chocolate milk, and all bets are off. It’s that good. (The carton I bought in the name of antibiotics? Lasted 36 hours. And I’m not ashamed to admit I hid it in the back of the fridge so my kids wouldn’t see it.)

Also: I am so not alone in my adoration of this beverage. I posted a picture of the milk carton on Facebook, calling it one of the best 100 foodstuffs in the history of the world, and reaction was swift and sure. “The best chocolate milk ever” - Nicky Sindora “Liquid heaven! Best chocolate milk in the world!” - Nick Sferra

“So rich that when empty, you can get one more glass by adding milk & stirring!” - Carl Carter And on it went. So what’s the big secret? Well, everything and nothing. Nothing, in that it’s “just” chocolate milk. Everything, in that it is not just chocolate milk.

Jerry Reilly, the owner and founder of Halo Farm, has always been very discerning with his products. No antibiotics for the cows, for starters. And when it comes to the ingredients, he demands the best. Case in point: That’s Dutch Cocoa on the chocolate milk ingredient list. And vanilla. And pure cream. And salt. And milk, and skim milk. Mix it all together and forget about it.

Reilly, in fact, drinks it “all the time,” I was told through his office manager, Christina Hayes, a 28-year vet of the Halo world. “It has a following, that’s for sure,” Hayes said. No joke. Over 400 people reacted to my Facebook post. I’ve become a father with less social media engagement.

Now granted, I could probably fill my column space each week detailing some local food, drink, or dish (and don’t think the thought hasn’t crossed my mind). But once in awhile there’s something that just captures the imagination of us locals, and when we’re reminded of it, we go bananas.

Or, as LiLi Temple put it, “Making people of Trenton crazy for decades.” Indeed. So let’s all raise a glass and hope we get many more decades of this decadent local staple. Drink up.

Sorry for the slightly blurry photo. I was shaking in anticipation of polishing this baby off in three servings (tops).