A new ice cream shop, Milkcraft, is set to arrive at 280 Crown St. next year, adding another option for dessert enthusiasts in New Haven.
Milkcraft is an ice cream franchise originating in the neighboring town of West Hartford, Connecticut. The company opened its first store on 967 Farmington Ave. last year and will be opening a New Haven location next March.
Milkcraft prides itself in its self-described use of fresh, natural ingredients. Its ice creams are made from local milk free of antibiotics, artificial preservatives and steroids, according to its website. The products are also gluten-free and contain no eggs. The company’s website contains a pledge that it only processes milk from New England farms that do not use artificial growth hormones on their cows.
The ice cream flavors come in different variations, such as s’mores campfire — made with deep cocoa chocolate, fire-roasted marshmallow and graham cracker crumbs — and milk and cereal, which contains all-natural vanilla with Fruitee O’s, Choco Puffs or Frosted Flakes.
Milkcraft’s ice cream, which is produced by blending fresh milk with food-grade liquid nitrogen, has attracted a sizeable number of customers, as illustrated by the 399 Google reviews available online as of press time. Its popularity has also prompted the shop to expand its business to Fairfield.
“This is some of the best [ice] cream I have ever had,” a reviewer said on Google. “I loved watching them make the ice cream fresh with the liquid nitrogen, and the flavor was so rich and delicious it was the perfect treat. Plus the music and the atmosphere both indoors and outdoors was excellent.”
Customers also get to choose whether they want their ice cream to be presented in a “bubblecone” — Milkcraft’s proprietary waffle cone — or a “creameebun,” a glazed bun with ice cream sealed into its center. People can have up to three scoops per serving.
Students interviewed by the News expressed interest and excitement at the prospect of having a new ice cream shop near campus.
“Using locally produced milk feels to me like a nice gesture towards the local economy,” Minseong Kim ’22 said.
He also added that the variety of flavors is something that he would definitely “love to try.”
Isaac Wilks ’22 also echoed Kim’s sentiments, adding that the use of liquid nitrogen is a novel execution of the classic ice cream that he would be interested in seeing for himself.
Milkcraft’s website is www.milkcraftca.com.
Jake Tae | jake.tae@yale.edu