Traditionally, drinking chocolate requires melting chocolate pieces or nibs directly into hot water or milk, while hot chocolate can be crafted by whisking cacao powder with hot milk or water. The latter often allows for a faster preparation, while the former is a ritual, a pause, a moment to cherish.

To be honest there isn't much of a difference besides temperature as chocolate milk can be warmed and called hot chocolate. However, hot chocolate is usually richer and often prepared with real cocoa powder and melted chocolate while chocolate milk is often just regular milk with added chocolate syrup.

The thicker, richer hot chocolate is also called “drinking chocolate”. Belgian ​​hot chocolate is made using melted chocolate, characterized by less sweetness and a thicker consistency. It is made primarily using dark chocolate but also has some milk chocolate mixed in.