You need to try these 6 St. Louis-made ice creams

Summer’s rising temps call for cold treats to help take the edge off the heat. Happily, the St. Louis region is blessed with an abundance of local ice cream artisans using high-quality, often locally sourced ingredients in flavors that range from classic to trailblazing. Whether you’re artfully ending a coursed meal with a special pairing, filling a bowl with scoops or digging straight into the carton with a spoon, there’s no wrong way to enjoy these pints we love.

Sugarwitch
The rise of Sugarwitch has been steady and impressive, with Sophia Mendelson and Martha Bass evolving their ice cream sandwiches from a grad school side project in Columbia to an Airstream-based operation set up on Olio’s patio in Botanical Heights; they’re now set to move into the former Carondelet Bakery in the Patch neighborhood this fall. Their vivacious Super Lemon leaves no doubt about the reasons for their rise – the citrus lends a tart, refreshing and zesty pep to a luscious, creamy base.
$10 to $12. 1634 Tower Grove Ave., St. Louis, 573.234.0042, sugarwitchic.com

Bold Spoon Creamery
Bold Spoon offers rotating flavors that showcase local products like fruits from Friedel Family Farm and coffee from Kuva Coffee Roasters, all produced at their farm in Park Hills. Complex flavors like the goat cheese and fig are particularly rewarding. Goat cheese from Baetje Farms brings a rich creaminess, and that slight salty edge creates room for the fig to emerge gradually, hinting at honey and sherry.
$10 to $11. Straub’s Fine Grocers, multiple locations, straubs.com

Giofre Apiaries Honey Ice Cream
This Millersburg producer uses honey produced by its own bees to create ice creams with an extra dimension. Their peanut butter-chocolate chip evokes the texture of crunchy peanut butter with tiny marbles of chocolate. But simplicity also has its rewards – the vanilla is pleasant and creamy, yet it allows the honey’s floral notes and natural sweetness space to step forward and claim center stage.
$6. Local Harvest Grocery, 3108 Morgan Ford Road, St. Louis, 314.865.5260, localharvestgrocery.com

Clementine’s Naughty and Nice Creamery
Clementine’s non-dairy ice cream continues to blow us away, particularly flavors made with their luxuriously creamy coconut cream base. The vivacious vegan lemon poppyseed would make a bright accompaniment to a seasonal berry pie or cobbler, while the earthy, coffee notes of reishi and chaga could be paired with a dark rum. The vegan chocolate fudge, with its rich, mousse-like texture, is a perennial favorite with dairy and non-dairy eaters alike at Sauce HQ. On the dairy side of things, we’re loving the Italian butter cookie – like a gingery Biscoff cookie in ice cream form – and salted caramel-cookies and cream flavors.
$12 to $15. Clementine’s Naughty and Nice Creamery, multiple locations, clementinescreamery.com

Serendipity Homemade Ice Cream
Soon to be based out of their new scoop shop in the Grove, Serendipity’s most satisfying flavors lean deep into the subject ingredients. The vanilla is the dictionary definition of “ice cream” – it’s perfect to pair with a brownie or some other chocolatey cake. The cinnamon would pair perfectly with any apple dessert, while the Gold Coast chocolate is among the most indulgent chocolates we’ve sampled in the city.
Prices vary. 4400 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314.962.2700, serendipity-icecream.com

Nonna Sweets & Treats
In barely a year, Natalie Johnson’s pop-up operation has covered a lot of ground in the world of iced desserts. She’s done sorbet, gelato and ice cream, frequently offering vegan-friendly flavors, and occasionally boozy options too. The vegan coffee coconut is like a milky vegan iced coffee, but our pick is another vegan option, the Rocky Road, whose deep, dark chocolate base and suggestion of rum compensates for the absence of dairy. Walnut and marshmallow round out the experience without over-complicating the flavor. Follow Johnson on Instagram for pop-up announcements and info on how to place orders.
8 ounces: $10. Instagram: @nonnasweetsstl