There's nothing that ice cream won't make better—it's perfect as a pick-me-up after a rough midterm, celebrating good news, or just to satisfy a late night sweet tooth. George Haymaker, the founder of ReThink Ice Cream, used ice cream as a mechanism to help recover from alcoholism and painkiller addiction. Ice cream provided a safer way for him to satisfy his cravings, but Haymaker wanted to go a step beyond and create a healthier, more sustainable version that didn't sacrifice the taste or texture of traditional milk-based ice creams. Our team at Berkeley was lucky enough to taste some flavors from this brand, and here are our the takeaways:
What We Tried
We sampled two flavors: Coffee Hazelnut and Chocolate Majesty. The slight bitter taste from the coffee complemented the nuttiness of the hazelnut so well, we couldn't help but go back in for second scoops. On the other side, the Chocolate Majesty was a rich and decadent ice cream, made with San Francisco based Ghirardelli chocolate, and had flakes of chocolate folded through the ice cream to provide texture and emphasize its flavor—this was my personal favorite!
Other flavors listed on their website include familiar ones like Black Cherry Vanilla and Mint with Chocolate Flakes, but they also carry more unique ice cream varieties, like Lemon Poppy Seed. Whether you're looking for a classic scoop of ice cream, or in the mood for a zesty new addition to your freezer, ReThink has your cravings covered.
The Brand
ReThink focuses on sustainability and health when crafting its products. All of its products are 'tummy-friendly', meaning they are free of lactose and A1 casein proteins. In addition, ReThink keeps its products low in sugar and low-glycemic, so those who are lactose intolerant or diabetic are able to indulge in the ice cream they love. Locally sourced ingredients and environmentally friendly dairy farming are also part of Rethink's ethical mission to reduce environmental impact and human waste.
If you live in the Berkeley area—look no further than your local Berkeley Bowl for a pint of your favorite flavor! And if you're a UC Berkeley student, it's also sold in Golden Bear Cafe, located on Sproul Plaza, in the heart of campus. This brand was founded on the belief of healthy indulgence - George Haymaker shows us how to rethink our relationship with ice cream and with the environment.