Dominique Ansel may be the mastermind behind the cronut, but Melissa Tavss is the brains behind Tipsy Scoop, a company that combines artisanal ice cream with booze, and yes, it rivals the notorious cronut. Tipsy Scoop creates small batch hand-crafted ice creams that contain 5% alcohol per serving, similar to many beers. While many dessert companies these days seem to be adding booze to their treats, what makes Tipsy Scoop stand out from the crowd is that you can actually taste the liquor in the ice cream. With boozy cupcakes surfacing all over the city (most of which don’t taste boozy at all), alcohol-infused ice cream is a welcome star to the creative dessert scene. Flavors range from Irish Car Bomb to Cake Batter Vodka Martini, with new flavors being introduced regularly. We chatted with Melissa, the Founder & CEO of Tipsy Scoop about her inspiration, formula, and flavors to come!
How did Tipsy Scoop start and what inspired the idea behind it?
I have worked for the past few years doing events for different liquor brands- launch parties, media events, and different activations. We were always asking caterers to feature the liquors we were promoting in different ways and I always was fascinated with what they could come up with- Bourbon Glazed wings, Raspberry liqueur crepes- you name it, they could make it! I have always loved ice cream and love dessert-y cocktails. I always thought the two could become one so I started experimenting!
Was it difficult coming up with a formula that allows you to taste the alcohol and keep it frozen?
Definitely. I was joking with one of my friends the other day about my first attempt. It definitely wasn’t the same creamy, boozy frozen treat that it is today! I worked on changing the base so that the alcohol could still hold at 5 percent alcohol volume. I didn’t want to sacrifice the alcohol content but still wanted the creamy consistency without the ice crystals. It definitely took a lot of trial and error.
What are your most popular flavors?
My favorite flavor is Frangelico Affogatto- that has frangelico hazelnut liqueur, coffee-infused tequila and we just started adding Brooklyn Diamond Cold brew coffee to add an extra kick! The most popular flavors can be found in our Birthday party pack– including Cake Batter Vodka Martini, Creme de Menthe, and Frangelico Affogato.
How long does it take you to come up with new creations?
We work on different flavors for each month based on holidays for that month or the season. The next upcoming three flavors will be inspired by the (hopefully) upcoming Spring weather and Spring fever! We also work with people to create specific flavors for weddings or certain corporate events based on their preferences. It is always fun to translate a cocktail flavor into a boozy ice cream so I guess it just depends!
What’s your favorite holiday to create new flavors for and why?
I liked the Winter Holiday flavors because they were a little more whimsical and fun- we crushed up candy canes for the candy cane vodka flavor and added chocolate chip cookie crumbs to the Santa’s Spiked Milk and Cookies. But really all of the holidays are fun because they are so different- the fall/winter flavors are definitely a bit heavier and heartier than the lighter Spring/Summer ones- but all are equally boozy:)
What is one drink you want to tipsify but haven’t yet?
For the Spring, I would definitely love to try to do a Gin Fizz ice cream, maybe with blackberries and fresh ginger, and some ginger liqueur, too!
For more information or to purchase Tipsy Scoop, please visit www.tipsyscoop.com or order now on Goldbelly!
Twisted Talk: What Tipsy Scoop flavor are you dying to try? What flavor do you wish they would make? Discuss below!
