Maybe you’re a paletas Pamela? Egg cream Ernie? How about soft serve Steve? Or maybe a mint chip Mildred? Whatever your ice cream persona is, we’ve got the shop for you.
In an effort to distract ourselves (and hopefully you, Mildred!) from a — let’s face it — depressing pandemic summer, we made an ice cream guide. More specifically, a flow chart where you can answer important questions about your outlook on life and the role that ice cream plays in it.
Ah, ice cream. Did you forget about coronavirus for a second? Read on to find some of your favorites, as well as the oh-so-enlightening guide.
Bonnie Brae: Old-school fanatics will hotly debate which shop around Denver is the oldest and the schoolest (Magill’s is another oft-mentioned contender). But this Wash Park staple sure takes the ice cream cake on a summer evening. 799 S. University Blvd., 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. weekdays, until 10:30 p.m. weekends
Dang: This latest Little Man brand in Park Hill sells pints of fries — FRIES! — alongside its soft-serve. Go during happy hour (4-6 p.m. Monday through Friday) and get fries for $1 when you order a large dessert. 2211 Oneida St., noon-10 p.m. weekdays, starting at 11 a.m. weekends
Happy Cones: New Zealand-style “real fruit ice cream” makes its Denver debut at this Edgewater Public Market shop. Real ice cream is combined with fresh berries to make a fruit-filled soft-serve treat. 5505 W. 20th Ave., noon-9 p.m. weekdays, until 10 p.m. weekends
La Oaxaqueña: New to Mexican paletas? They are similar to popsicles but made with fresh fruit and either agua or leche for varying levels of creaminess on a stick. (Ask for paletas de aguas if you don’t want dairy.) 3060 W. Mississippi Ave., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily
Milkroll: Thai-style rolled ice cream is as fun to watch someone else make as it is to eat. At Milkroll, you can top your ice cream rolls in Pocky sticks, lychee, condensed milk or graham cracker crumbs. 3500 E. Colfax Ave., 3-8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday only
Pint’s Peak: New this season, this virtual ice cream shop relies on pickups and deliveries rather than a typical storefront. The flavors change, but current pints include Smoked S’mores, Coconut Lemongrass and Tripel Beer with pretzel crunch. Online only; orders available at 10 a.m. every Monday
Sherry’s Soda Shoppe: This old-fashioned soda fountain option opened this year on Welton Street, with housemade sodas, egg creams, malts and more, in addition to scoops and sundaes. 2716 Welton St., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays and Tuesday through Thursday, until 10 p.m. weekends, closed Monday
Smith + Canon: Handmade ice cream is hard to come by anymore. For a taste of it, and some unique flavors to boot, head to this sweet shop on East Colfax. (Try Foxy Brown and guess its flavor profiles.) 2260 E. Colfax Ave., 11 a.m.-8 p.m. daily except Sunday (noon-7 p.m.)
Sweet Cow: The kid-size blow-up cows from this local chain are a real treat, indeed. But so is the ice cream, in flavors like Oatmeal Cookie, Bananas Foster and Captain Crunchberries. Six locations around Denver and Boulder, open at 10 a.m. daily