6 Coolest & Most Creative Ice Cream Flavors
What is Ramune? Or Black Mint Ice Cream? We take you on a virtual voyage to some of our favorite scoop shops for some amazing tastes. Because if we’re going to eat traditional ice cream, it has to be worth it!
We’re all about a healthy scoop that still tastes delicious. But we’re not above enjoying a scoop of traditional ice cream at our local (or not so local) ice cream shop every now and then. But when we do, it has to be something special! So here’s our pick for our top six unusual and delicious flavors and the scoop shops that sell them.
And of course, taste is subjective. So disagree with our list? Know of an amazing flavor we missed out on? Let us know in the comments below!
Ramune Ice Cream (Wanderlust Creamery, Los Angeles)
“What is Ramune?” you might ask. It’s a Japanese soda also known as “marble soda” for the glass marble that pressure seals the bottle from the inside instead of a cap (you open it by using a special tool to dislodge the marble by pushing it into the bottle). The classic Ramune is a sparkly lemon-lime flavor.
Wanderlust Creamery in Los Angeles puts this flavor into a light-blue ice cream (in homage to the iconic packaging) that tastes like a creamy version of the popular drink. We love Wanderlust because their whole concept is to take tastes, spices, ingredients and inspirations from travels around the world and translate that into their ever-changing lineup. This means everything from flavors like “Sticky Rice + Mango” and “Abuelita Malted Crunch” to “Kinder” and “Earl Grey” (http://www.wanderlustcreamery.com Instagram: @wanderlustcreamery)
Black Mint (Dasher & Crank, Miami)
Activated charcoal gives this ice cream it’s signature noir color, and the peppermint and chocolate it’s great taste. Their unusual name comes from the terms used for the paddle that churns ice cream and the crank handles found on classic ice cream buckets. Newer and less widely-known that some of the other creameries on this list, this innovative scoop shop located in the heart of Miami’s Wynwood Art District is well worth a visit.
All their flavors are made in-house inside the shop. You won’t be guaranteed to get Black Mint on every visit, because they invent and rotate flavors constantly, with cool ideas like Elderflower Power (elderflower ice cream with candied hemp seeds) and “Yunnan Gold” (Yunnan province black tea with Maple Toffee Crunch). (https://www.dasherandcrank.com Instagram: @dasherandcrank)
Secret Breakfast (Humphry Slocombe, San Francisco)
This flavor has become a signature of the San Francisco based scoop shops based, as ice cream chef and co-owner Jeff Godby admits, partially on the very clever name. “Secret Breakfast” is a vanilla-based ice cream with bourbon and cornflake cookies. (Hence the allusion to sneaking a little libation into your morning cereal!). But beyond the fun name, it’s a delicious combination using flavors that naturally harmonize perfectly.
We never let a visit to San Francisco’s iconic Ferry Building pass without a visit. And like a lot of other creameries on this list, they focus on fresh and innovative flavor ideas like “Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee” and “Candied Ginger.” (http://www.humphreyslocombe.com Instagram: @humphryslocombe)
Strawberry Honey Balsamic with Black Pepper (Salt & Straw, Portland)
A signature flavor from the big-daddy of the innovative artisan flavor creameries, this awesome flavor is, as they describe it, a strawberry ice cream that uses “balsamic [vinegar] and citrusy cubeb black pepper to help coax out the fruit’s acidity and brightness.” One of the things we really appreciate about cousin founders Kim & Tyler is their thoughtful approach to crafting innovative ice cream. Although some of their more experimental concepts push even our desire to try new tastes, like bone marrow or pig’s blood ice cream.
But thankfully, there’s a wealth of flavors that are amazing at every shop. Because while we say they’re in Portland, Oregon — Salt & Straw has expanded their scoop shops everywhere from Los Angeles to Orlando and the soon-to-open Miami locations. (https://www.saltandstraw.com Instagram: @saltandstraw
White Russian (Aubi & Ramsa, Miami)
When you step into Aubi & Ramsa in Miami’s Design District, it feels less like you entered a scoop shop and more like a high-end bar. And that fits, since they bill themselves as 21+ ice cream. Every one of their flavors features wine, spirits or beer with all the alcohol left in. When you order, each flavor is presented to you in an elegant paper and foil cylinder that the ‘bar tender’ pops open for you.
One of their most popular flavors is the White Russian — a velvety coffee flavor with “Beluga Noble” vodka and English toffee bits. It tastes as good as it sounds. Other flavors are varieties like the Irish Slammer (Guiness and Bailey’s ice cream with chocolate bits), Choco Hazelnut Martini (chocolate with Franjelico liqueur and Hendrick’s gin) and The Strawberries Rosé (strawberry sorbet and Veuve Cliquot rosé). They have recently been expanding to a few locations in Miami, Tampa and recently Las Vegas (https://www.aubiramsa.com Instagram: @aubiramsa)
Cereal Milk Soft Serve (Milk Bar, NYC)
We’re usually not all about the soft serve, but make an exception for this confection made from cereal-infused milk mixed with caramelized cornflakes. What is ‘cereal-infused milk’?… basically it’s the thickened milk that’s left over after you’ve eaten a bowl of cornflakes.
Milk Bar is the brainchild of Christina Tosi, who was the pastry chef at renowned Korean fusion restaurant Momofuku (and whose owner David Chang is a big supporter). Milk Bar isn’t mainly about ice cream and is instead an all-around confection and bakery shop with insanely good desserts like her signature ‘crack pie’. Milk Bar started in NYC and has quite a few locations in the city, but can now be found in outposts from Las Vegas to L.A. and Washington D.C. (https://www.milkbarstore.com Instagram: @milkbarstore)
Editor’s note: if you visit these shops, check out their websites (listed) if they are serving and special hours due to current conditions. Also, when going out follow all guidelines and stay safe.
