wild scoops ice cream "pearls on a string" flavor

Last summer I complained to anyone who would listen about the tragedy of Alaska’s local ice cream scene. It was nonexistent. My idyllic visions of walking the streets of Anchorage with a delicious, locally made ice cream cone in my hand and pushing a stroller with a perfectly behaved child in my other hand were quickly demolished. I reminded Nate, yet again, why our former cities of Portland and Annapolis were so much cooler than our new home. So, imagine my delight and surprise when someone not only saw the hole in the market but actually did something about it! Wild Scoops Homemade Alaskan Ice Cream recently opened up to create small batches of artisanal ice cream, right in time for the uncharacteristically warm summer we enjoyed. I had the pleasure of meeting one of the co-owners and head ice cream maker extraordinaire, Elissa Brown, at a farmer’s market and instantly fell in love with Wild Scoop’s fun take on flavors, Alaskan-inspired names, and locally sourced ingredients. And, the owner herself, who is the sweetest. After a summer of me gorging on ice cream we decided to collaborate and Elissa created this delicious ice cream flavor just for me.

I wanted to see the behind-the-scenes process of making ice cream and creating flavors, so Elissa let me join in one morning to chat and take pictures in the commercial kitchen space they currently rent out for ice cream prep. Elissa started Wild Scoops with her boyfriend, Chris Pike, in June 2015 and it is now a full-time endeavor. They sell at farmers’ markets and the high-end Sundry Shop at Alyeska Resort. They make every effort to use only local, organic ingredients– including the dairy products, which is quite challenging in Alaska! Most of the flavors are inspired by flavors of the season and locale, like Fireweed Lemon Sorbet and Unbeetable (made with beets, which are prevalent in Alaska, and honey) or stories from their own travels. Even traditional flavors have Alaska-inspired names, like White Raven (Oreos + vanilla ice cream) or Sitka Swirl (salted caramel swirl with Alaskan sea salt). They’ve also partnered with other local favorites for great flavors infused with coffee, beer, and macarons! Yum. Have you ever wondered how people come up with seemingly random flavor combinations that turn out to be delicious? I definitely have, because it seems like a true art. When I asked Elissa what her usual process is like when choosing flavor combinations, she said:

So many different ways that I come up with flavor ideas! Sometimes I’ll just see something at the farmers market that looks particularly fresh and exciting. Then, I think of other flavors that have paired well with it in the past (i.e. thinking of salads, pies, cakes, candles, perfumes, soaps, marinades, etc! For instance, strawberry goes well with balsamic, beets with oranges, basil with walnuts, lime with ginger/coconut, etc.). But there are endless combos! Usually something comes to me and then I reflect on whether it sounds like the most amazing thing ever and if not, then I keep thinking.

The story of how Wild Scoops unfolded is especially inspiring to me. There are a few parallels that we share such as moving to Alaska from the East Coast, shifting our professional focus, and striving every day to create something new. Elissa said she took to the business like the studious gal she is (a former educator having taught in Norway and North Carolina) and enrolled in classes, made a business plan, and continues to work diligently to make better ice cream. She has turned a former hobby into a full-fledged booming business. Can you say #girlboss or what?

I absolutely love the process of how Elissa created the pearls on a string flavor. I mentioned to her that I identify heavily with the three primary states I’ve lived in: Oregon, Maryland, and now Alaska. She accepted the challenge to incorporate those three locations when contemplating the flavor. Elissa said she wanted “something that’s elegant yet also down-to-earth” to represent pearls on a string. We settled on a creamy mint base with blueberry swirl and dark chocolate flakes. She informed me that Maryland’s official state drink is milk (I did not know this!), berries represent Oregon, and the mint is local and Alaskan. The dark chocolate was added in on impulse and made for such an excellent complexity of flavors. Considering 99% of my dessert consumption involves chocolate, I thought this was fitting. And necessary. The end result is so much better than I ever imagined! It is some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had. Elissa gave me two pints and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to finish the second one (naturally the first pint was eaten within a day) because I’m afraid I’ll never find another flavor as delicious and, I have to admit, because I just love seeing treats with my name on it. I’m so honored to have a pearls on a string flavor!