A cold day in November might not seem like the best time to visit an ice cream parlor. But Ample Hills Creamery in Gowanus, Brooklyn is no ordinary scoop shop and we had good reason for our visit. Founded in 2011 by wife-and-husband team Jackie Cuscuna and Brian Smith, Ample Hills Creamery's goal is to 'invite people to celebrate and engage in the story of ice cream through playful, fun and funky flavors, vibrant, caring and creative Amployees, and experiential classes, hands-on demonstrations and birthday parties." Named "Best ice cream in America" by Food Network, Ample Hills has quickly grown to five locations in NYC and one in Disney World.
Recently, Ample Hills launched a new flavor 'Hot as Honey,' featuring spicy honeycomb candy made with Mike's Hot Honey and folded into sweet cream ice cream and we headed over to their Gowanus, Brooklyn shop, where all of the ice cream is made on site, to witness a production run of the 'Hot as Honey' flavor.
Upon our arrival we were greeted by Ample Hills art director Lauren Kaelin, responsible for the company's signature artwork, who gave us a tour of the creamery and delighted us with a flight of her favorite Ample Hills flavors.
After eating our way through half a dozen delicious scoops, we were invited into the production area where Lauren showed us sheets of spicy honeycomb candy waiting to be broken and mixed with sweet cream ice cream to create the new 'Hot as Honey' flavor. As the sweet cream ice cream pours into tubs, shattered chunks of spicy honeycomb candy are folded by hand into the ice cream. The honeycomb candy has a burnt sugar flavor to it with a spicy finish that complements the sweet cream ice cream.
Following the production run, we ended our visit on the scoop shop's rooftop terrace enjoying cones of 'Hot as Honey' while taking in the panoramic views of Brooklyn. Not a bad day at the office!
For more information on Ample Hills hours and locations or to order a pint of 'Hot as Honey' online (they ship nationwide!), visit amplehills.com.