With midterms season upon us, it's hard not to wish we could go back in time to the carefree days of summer. While fall, winter, and spring bring with them their own special treats, my heart will always be with a creamy, cold scoop of ice cream. If you're not already dreaming of summer, here's 23 amazing ice cream joints that will make you wish June would come a little faster:
1. Coppa (Juneau, AK)
If the color of this ice cream isn't enough to make you book a flight to Alaska immediately, maybe their flavors will. Coppa's flavors change everyday, but some of their famous staples are honey lavender and rhubarb sherbet, and they also open to suggestions from their customers for new flavors.
2. The Baked Bear (Scottsdale, AZ)
Besides having a unique name to get people through the doors, the way you order at the Baked Bear also attracts crowds. You pick a top and bottom for your sandwich, ranging from any combination of different types of cookies, brownies, and even donuts, and then choose your ice cream and toppings, and can then have your beautiful ice cream sandwich hot pressed.
3. Eiswelt Gelato (Los Angeles, CA)
Eiswelt Gelato gets a 10/10 for cutest presentation in my books. Their animal cones, ranging from teddy bears to pigs to pandas to ducks, not only include cute faces but also delicious gelato.
4. CREAM (San Francisco, CA)
CREAM, which stands for Cookies Rule Everything Around Me, started as the owner's throw back to their childhood where they would create their own ice cream sandwiches with their mom's cookies. But if you're not feeling an ice cream sandwich, have no fear because they also serve ice cream tacos.
5. Frozen Matter (Denver, CO)
Calling themselves a "cow to cone microcreamery", Frozen Matter produces small batches of unique ice cream flavors to serve in Uptown Denver. With flavors like coconut black sesame, avocado, and sangria sorbet, its no wonder this is one of the most popular ice cream placed in Colorado.
6. Milkcraft (Fairfield, CT)
Just like Wowfulls, Milkcraft is famous for the waffle bubble cone that their all natural ice cream is served in. But they also have a creameebun, which is a baked glazed donut that they also serve their ice cream in.
7. Dreamette (Neptune Beach, FL)
Known as a local landmark, Dreamette has creamy soft serve ice cream but is better known for the flavors that ice cream can be dipped in. The dips featured in the photo above, which are cake batter, toasted coconut, and peanut butter, are enough to make you book a trip to Florida ASAP.
8. Butter and Cream (Atlanta, GA)
Butter and Cream meshes the new and the old into their scoops of ice cream. Adding modern twists into old classics and favorites from childhood, everything down to your cone is made on site.
9. Amorino (Chicago, IL)
Started in the heart of Paris, these beautiful gelato flowers were thankfully brought across the ocean to us. The Amorino rose comes in different sizes and flavors, and with or without the macaroon in the center, in case you want to feel a little less guilty about dessert.
10. The Creole Creamery (New Orleans, LA)
This place has a special balance between serving the classic staples, like chocolate and vanilla, and offering an ever-changing cycle of unique flavors like pumpkin praline and Lucky Charms ice cream. So, just when you think the Louisiana summer heat is too much to bear, stop in for a quick pick-me-up.
11. Mt. Desert Island Ice Cream (Bar Harbor, ME)
The beautiful coasts of Maine isn't the only thing that pulls tourists in for summer trips. The owner claims that "the only dessert that ever mattered was ice cream" and I'm not going to be the first one to disagree with that statement.
12. Treat Dreams (Detroit, MI)
If you're in Michigan and feel the sudden need to get ice cream, Treat Dreams is the place to go. And if you want their ice cream for an event and you're just too lazy to go out to pick it up, they have a mobile truck called the Dream Machine that can be rented for a party or event.
13. Clementine's Naught and Nice Creamery (St. Louis, MO)
The thing that separates Clementine's apart from other regular ice cream shops is that hers has two parts: the naughty and the nice. The naughty side serves alcohol infused boozy ice cream, using locally sources beers, wines, and spirits, while the nice side makes small batches of interesting flavors. No matter which side you decide to indulge in, you'll be happy you went.
14. I Scream Ice Cream (Albuquerque, NM)
If this isn't the best name ever for an ice cream shop, I don't know what is. I Scream Ice Cream not only enthralls kids with their amazing ice cream, but also their vast collection of vintage toys and colorful surroundings.
15. Taiyaki NYC (New York City, NY
Who wouldn't want unicorn ice cream served in a fish shaped cone? Bringing popular Japanese street food to the heart of NYC, Taiyaki is sure to fill up your insta feed and media this summer, as the shop keeps getting more and more mentions across a multitude of media platforms.
16. Salt and Straw (Portland, OR)
All Salt and Straw wants from you is for you to enjoy their ice cream. Their Portland location, the original one in this Pacific Northwest company, is sprinkled with unique flavors like strawberry honey balsamic, pear and blue cheese, and toasted baguette PB&J.
17. Brickley's Ice Cream (Narragansett, RI)
This homemade ice cream shop is a staple for this beach town in Rhode Island. Catering towards the booming summer population and the quieter local population in the offseason, you can never go wrong by getting their black raspberry chip, maple walnut, or peach.
18. Sweet Cream Company (Columbia, SC)
This ice cream sandwich is the definition of perfection. At this South Carolina creamery, the flavors of ice cream sandwiches change with the months. And if that doesn't make you drool, you can always get a scoop of their gourmet ice cream in a cone or cup.
19. Silver Lining Creamery (Rapid City, SD)
If you happen to find yourself at Mt. Rushmore next summer, add this place to your list. This creamery used local sources and Midwestern dairy to create their small batches of wonderfulness.
20. Clumpies Ice Cream Co. (Chattanooga, TN)
Again, one of the best names for an ice cream place. Famous for their firecracker ice cream, which is a Tutti Frutti ice cream flavor infused with Pop Rocks for that extra crackle, they also have a ton of other fun scoops that hit the spot.
21. Creamistry (Houston, TX)
What makes Creamistry different from other ice cream places is that it uses liquid nitrogen to create their customized treats in front of the customer's eyes. You get to choose your base flavor, ranging from a list of cereals, cookies, cakes, and teas, and your add-ins and then watch your concoction being made on the spot.
22. Nicecream (Arlington, VA)
This place doesn't serve ice cream, it serves "nicecream", also using liquid nitrogen as their freezing agent. And they keep customers on their toes by having a rotating ice cream flavor calendar, so you are sometimes forced to leave boring chocolate behind and try something new like piña colada.
23. Cupcake Royale (Seattle, WA)
This place combines two all time favorite desserts, ice cream and cupcakes, into one mega treat. Taking their famous cupcake flavors and smashing them into their ice cream creates heavenly desserts like salted caramel cupcake ice cream or bananza with caramel and fudgy brownie.
While it's true ice cream can be enjoyed year-round, it never tastes quite as good as it does in the summer. So for now, keep drooling at dreaming—June will be here soon enough!