We’re Screaming For These Regional Ice Cream Brands

07.08.2023 - 15:51 / forbes.com

Finding amazing local ice cream shops can be one of the best parts of summer travel. Luckily, many of those shops are now offering delivery around the country and some brands are even being sold in your own local grocery stores, thanks to popular demand.

You should already know about Columbus, Ohio-based Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream and Portland, Oregon’s Salt & Straw but here are a few other brands that will get you through the rest of this hot summer with a smile on your face. They’ll arrive fresh and frozen but beware: they may melt your heart.

High Point Creamery

If you can’t move to Denver to visit High Point regularly, do yourself a favor and put in an order right now because it literally may be the high point of your summer. This artisanal ice cream brand features flavors like Earl Grey & Shortbread, Cornbread with Strawberry Jam and Tin Cup Whiskey & Pistachio Brittle that deserve to be tasted rather than described. Their signature Basil with Blackberry Swirl will have you quoting Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams when he asks, “Is this heaven?” Only, this time, the answer is yes.

Malai

The unique flavors offered by this beloved Brooklyn-based brand pay homage to the South Asian spices of founder Pooja Bavishi’s childhood and they’re so rich and authentic, you’ll get a taste of India in every spoonful. You may recognize Bavishi as the champion of the Food Network’s Chopped Sweets and her scrumptious Agate Candy and Saffron is inspired by that win. Filled with ingredients like cardamom, saffron and rose petals – no surprise, the sweet and spicy Rose with Cinnamon Roasted Almonds is their top seller – Malai flavors will have you closing your eyes and moaning in bliss. (I’m looking at you, Masala Chai.)

Cold Case

This luxury online brand is so much fun because it goes deep on its detective theme, even including a mystery game and golden shovel spoon with each six pack. But the cleverness is almost wasted because this handcrafted ice cream is a standout on its own and all the evidence you need is right inside each pint of frozen goodness. You’ll want to order quick because flavors like Assaulted Caramel and Embezzle-mint are already sold out. On my personal Wanted list right now? Cookies and Scream, Summer Camp Massacre and Cereal Killer. Missing them would be criminal.

FatBoy

Okay, you know a premium ice cream named FatBoy HAS to be good – and this ice cream is so much better than good. In fact, its ice cream sandwiches are so iconic that legacy brand, Casper’s Ice Cream, makes more than half a million of them every single day. They also make boxes of bestselling FatBoy ice cream cones and sundaes on a stick in a variety of flavors, which you can find in grocery stores all around the