by Leiti Hsu

Creator Maryellis Bunn captured the imagination of millennials in an era where people are craving connection, she says. (Or in a time when we’re dealing with a Cheeto-colored commander-in-chief, we must find solace in taking Instagram photos inside of ice cream art installations.) She’s turned a love for ice cream into millions of dollars, with exhibits across NYC, LA, Miami and SF, plus, of course, a retail line of ice cream pints. Thousands of tickets sell out within hours.

 
I’m not an ice cream person. (While heartbroken, I run straight for a bowl of noodle soup instead.) But there is something extra comforting and pleasurable about sweet cold cream on the tongue. With all the hullabaloo about 3-D printing everything, fashion and even food, I must say that when it comes to ice cream, 3-D printing seems to make a lot of sense. Unleash Dominique Ansel or Cedric Grolet—and just imagine the shapes that could be created!

 
Back to basics, my main plea to ice cream makers is to lower the sugar content please. Palates across the country are becoming less addicted to sweetness with health advisories warning that it (not fat, as there's good fat) is the one thing that’s unequivocally bad for you. Two spots I’ve noticed let ingredients shine through without too much sweetness—Il Laboratorio Del Gelato in NYC and the family-run Dutch Dreams in Toronto, Canada.

 
Speaking of business, another not-too-sweet local favorite ice cream shop of mine is Oddfellows by the James Beard-nominated chef Sam Mason and cofounder Mohan Kumar, who earlier this year offered equity in the company via a quirky crowdfunding campaign. The funds would go toward their newly-built OddFactory in Bushwick serving as an “experiential venue, creative thinktank, and production grounds for national pint shipping, expanded vegan flavor line, and retail, restaurant and e-commerce growth. In keeping with their humorous and nostalgic positioning, in tandem with the campaign OddFellows has launched a cheeky hotline of 1-866-4ICE-CREAM, where fans and potential investors are met with a sultry voice that lures listeners to their SeedInvest page. The number can be found on receipts, stickers, and on in-store and online graphics throughout the fundraising period.”

 
Flavors—the wilder, the better, I say. A multi-national couple, the French Yann Rey and American Courtney Boyd Meyers opened Unframed ice cream in Cape Town, South Africa. The original Kloof St. shop on one of the city’s main drags for visitors and locals alike was bustling in the perfect January sunny weather when I was there. The flavors change weekly, sometimes daily, with vegan and dairy-free options. Most memorable was this electric Smurf-hued scoop—no, not flavored with blue bubblegum, but contains the superfood spirulina, a blue algae that purports benefits like promoting gut health, increasing metabolism and lowering cholesterol. I visited one day last year and witnessed the shocking blue ice cream spiraling fresh out of the machine.

 
Even boozy ice cream is becoming a thing. “In 2015, Ben & Jerry’s partnered with new Belgium Brewing Company to launch Salted Caramel Brown-ie-Ale, which is a beer infused ice cream,” says a Technavio report. In Miami, Aubi & Ramsa opened in the trendy Design District, serving up scoops that feature artisanal spirits, featuring around 20 flavors like “bourbon-infused Kentucky Creme Brûlée made with Four Roses Single Barrel to the Del Maguey Vida Mezcal spiked Chocolate Azteca,” reports Eater.

 
As dietary restrictions and preferences among eaters increase, there’s been a rise in ice cream made with dairy alternatives like goat milk, nut milks or coconut milk. Non-cow’s-milk tends to be less irritating to those with sensitivity to cow’s milk. Coconut, rich in “good fats,” is a popular dairy substitute. The good part is that most of the alternatives taste delicious (Van Leeuwen's vegan sccops are a personal favorite)—although nothing is quite exactly like creamy classic ice cream made from good quality cow’s milk.

 
Oat milk with its distinctively creamy mouthfeel and substantial dairy-like taste and texture has become insanely popular in the coffee shops of major metro areas like NYC and LA—especially the memorably named brand Oatly, which, after a few moments of being sold out (aka supply issues), feels always on the verge of selling out (which just makes us want oat milk all the more). With that, a prediction: I can’t wait until I encounter my first oat milk ice cream…

 
On most summer days, there’s a line out the door for Morgenstern's in downtown NYC. Nicholas Morgenstern, a successful restaurant chef, says, “Morgenstern's Finest Ice Cream is my chance to express my love of the quintessential American indulgence. I have been dreaming of these flavors, this style, and this place for years." Indeed, chef-driven ice cream is on the rise as chefs find other avenues to express their skill and creativity; some have realized that an ice cream shop that grows into an ice cream brand sold in retail or e-stores, shipped from afar with nifty packaging—is far more scalable than a single high-end restaurant that wins awards.

 
While still hands-on in the beginning (what to do when the ice cream machine malfunctions?), the business of ice cream is alluring compared with other food businesses for this one truth: Nobody can hate the ice cream maker. Why not bring joy to more people and make a good living?