One of New York’s most posh ice creameries is at it again, creating tantalizing new flavors for adventurous taste buds.
The citywide, artisan Van Leeuwen ice cream scooped out four new flavors for the winter months — two of which are vegan and two that are classics.
Let’s start off with the new classics: marionberry cheesecake and Irish cream.
That cheesecake flavor is a tough one to top.
If you’re unfamiliar with the flavor of marionberries, they’re similar to that of a blackberry; these particular ones come from Stahlbrush berry farms in Oregon.
The jam pairs well with the chunks of graham cracker crust infused into the creamy blend — delightfully tart and sweet.
As for the Irish cream, this mischievous scoop is concocted with Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey along with traces of cocoa, vanilla and other flavorful ingredients that give the Irish cream a mellow, smooth mocha flavor.
Now onto the new vegan options of ginger lemon poppy seed crumble and churros & fudge.
The Ginger Lemon Poppy Seed Crumble is an adventure just with its unique texture. Made from ginger ice cream, this cashew based flavor holds chunks of Van Leeuwen lemon poppy seed cookies with each scoop, providing a tangy taste with a unique texture.
Finally there’s the churros and fudge flavor — and if you didn’t know in advance it was vegan, you’d have difficulty noticing any difference from traditional ice cream.
This one comes from an oat base, which comes across with hints of oatmeal cookie, sweetened with flavorful chunks of churro and complimented by the fudge swirl.
Oat flavors are something that Van Leeuwen intends to continue incorporating into its new flavors and has been since last fall, according to a spokesperson for the flavor experimental ice cream shop.
Something that isn’t new but certainly exciting to watch is how the store makes its own, homemade waffle cones in house.
Staff advises to wait until the waffle batter cooks to a “GBD” standard, known in lay terms as golden, brown, and delicious.
Once springtime rolls around, Van Leeuwen will be re-introducing a special, earth day themed flavor of ice cream as well for its lucky patrons of NYC.
Van Leeuwen operates shops and trucks across the city. Visit their website for more details.
