I scream, you scream!
The origin of ice cream reaches back as far as the second century BC, although no specific date of origin nor inventor has been credited with the discovery. History is littered with famous fans: Alexander the Great enjoyed snow and ice flavored with honey and nectar. Marco Polo brought a Far East souvenir of a recipe for sherbet back to Italy. Records kept by a New York merchant show that President George Washington spent approximately $200 on ice cream during the summer of 1790, and Dolly Madison served a strawberry ice cream at her husband’s second inauguration.
Americans consumed over 20 quarts of ice cream per person in 1946 in celebration of the end of WWII (and dairy rationing). Today, frozen dairy annual production in the United States is more than 1.6 billion gallons. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month. There’s a proclamation and everything, so if you aren’t consuming your fair share, can you even call yourself a good American?
BLACK HUMOR
8° FAHRENHEIT
3675 SATELLITE BOULEVARD, DULUTH
A traditional Thai street food, ice cream rolls defy all the rules of logic that we know to be true about ice cream. Yet here we are, with Instagram-perfect frozen curls. Artisans pour a custard-esque mixture onto a cold (8* to be exact) metal plate, smoosh in toppings as it freezes, spread it thinly across the cold surface and then skillfully scrape it into delicate rolls. Try the Thai tea with peach to really get into the cultural spirit, or our favorite, the Black Humor (not to be confused with Good Humor): a delicious mix of Oreo cookies, brownies and chocolate sauce.
BETTER BUTTER BEER
DADDY O’BRIEN’S IRISH ICE CREAM PUB 5910
SUWANEE DAM ROAD, SUGAR HILL
Inspired by Harry Potter, Daddy O’s Butter Beer ice cream was named the 2016 Flavor of the Year by the National Ice Cream Retailers Association. This handcrafted gourmet ice cream features the rich flavors of butterscotch and cinnamon. What makes it Better Butter Beer? The addition of alcohol—Daddy O features an entire adult menu of delicious, tipsy ice cream options (like the award-winning Kentucky Salted Caramel, with chocolate chips and bourbon), as well as family-friendly flavors (say that five times fast).
MISTO
RITA’S ITALIAN ICE
340 TOWN CENTER AVENUE, SUWANEE
Technically, Rita’s does not sell ice cream. But Italian ice, cream ice and creamy, light, frozen custard are close enough in our book, and certainly delicious enough. Try a Misto, a shake with frozen custard and Italian ice; a Blendini, a combo of frozen custard and Italian ice with cookie pieces; or our personal favorite, a Gelati with alternating layers of mango Italian ice and vanilla custard. A bite featuring each will instantly transport you back to the creamsicles of your childhood.
THE CHOCOLATERIE
3099 MAIN STREET, DULUTH
Better known for their handmade, hand-painted chocolate truffles, The Chocolaterie—housed in the oldest building on Main Street in downtown Duluth—also offers a selection of house-churned gourmet ice creams. The Chocolaterie ice creams are flavored with pure, non-GMO milk, heavy cream, 16-18 percent butterfat (the way God intended) and real fruits, nuts, aromatics and herbs. We’re big fans of going big or going home, so order your ice cream on top of chocolate truffles. You’re welcome.