Woman Owned Ice Cream Shops to Support in Denver
By: Casey Harding-Brown
Ever since coming off my hormonal birth control, my monthly pre-period craving has become the world renowned classic, otherwise known as gelato, helado, or ice cream. I’m declaring this a safe space for what I am about to say (or should I say write)next is definitely controversial; Until recently, ice cream was never top of my list. To clarify, I am not a psychopath. If ice cream cake was presented at a birthday party, I would be excited about the upgrade from your standard yellow cake with chocolate frosting. If I found myself in Italy, you bet I was seeking out dulce de leche gelato. My dad routinely ended his night with a generous bowl of some sort of chocolate, coffee, nut combo before falling asleep with his head on my mom’s lap, no later than 9:30pm. It was readily available and normalized as an everyday treat, yet for whatever reason it wasn't my go to. I didn’t have anything against it per say, it just never called to me. Until recently that is. And ever since my hormones came back to their normal selves, I have been a mad woman on the hunt for the best ice cream in Denver.
Yes, yes it may officially be fall but with temperatures hovering in the 80’s all week, I say ice cream season is still in full swing. Also, who doesn’t like ice cream year round? Why should we confine such a delectable dessert to one season?! Plus, many places now offer seasonal flavors such as pumpkin chocolate chip. Whatever the weather may be, I hope you enjoy indulging in these woman owned ice cream shops as much as I did.
I consciously placed MyKings at the top of the list for a reason. My friends and I were blown away by the way the owner, Le’Day, welcomed us and the exceptional customer service she gave not only us but every single patron who walked in her doors. She has a contagious energy and a love you can feel for her son (MyKing) and the sweet treats she serves up. Her flavors range from classic to contemporary and there's something for everybody especially once you take into account the toppings section and the option to turn any scoop into a shake.
Formerly known as Frozen Matter, this Uptown (they have multiple locations but this is the only one I have been to) ice cream shop sits above a speakeasy so you can kill two birds with one stone; cocktails and sugar cravings! Or in my case, since I was in a full sweatsuit and not my party pants, people watching (there's generally a line for the speakeasy on the weekends) and sugar cravings! If you’re looking for that late night snack, this is the place to be as it’s open until midnight. With vegan options, the ability to get your ice cream served over a brownie or in between two cookies and fun, rotating flavors, you can see why this shop is a hit.
While they’re not technically a shop, this woman owned joint serves up delicious, small batch, artisanal scoops from her location-rotating ice cream truck. The menu is limited but each flavor is unique and tasty. I caught her at City Park Farmer's Market but you can check out their website to see the schedule so you can find them too!