Ah, summertime. As the temperatures heat up, so does our desire for the cool, creamy treat we all scream for.
Yes, I’m talking about ice cream.
But if you’re tired of the regular (read: vanilla), look no further than food truck turned brick-and-mortar Coolhaus. The truck was opened by a two-woman team in 2009 and quickly gained a cult following after their debut at Coachella the same year.
Now, the team has trucks in Los Angeles, New York, Austin, and Dallas and distributes their pre-packaged ice creams and ice cream cookie sandwiches in all 50 states, along with two scoop shops in the LA area, including Old Pasadena.
So what sets Coolhaus apart from other ice cream shops?
“We are really innovative with how we make flavors and what we throw into our ice creams; we like to be very creative and adventurous,” says Natasha Case, co-founder and CEO of Coolhaus. “[We focus] less on sweet-on-sweet; we mix in the smoky and the boozy and the savory. “
With flavors like Olive Oil (described as “refreshing and fruity”), Fried Chicken & Waffles, and Maker’s Manhattan, it’s easy to see that innovation is at the heart of everything Coolhaus does.
Even our local scoop shop is unique. Located in the collaborative space called Indiana Colony, Case shares this spot has some special surprises. “We do sometimes have certain flavors that we only offer there. For example, for a while we were doing a Rose ice cream in honor of the Rose Parade,” says Case.
It’s true, the team has a soft spot for Pasadena: “One of the founders of Coolhaus, Freya Estreller is from the Pasadena area. She actually went to Mayfield. She’s definitely a home-town girl.”
If you’ve been inspired by their radical flavors (seriously, Brown Butter Candied Bacon? Earl Grey? Peking Duck???) and want to try your hand at this ice cream revolution, you can!
Recently the team released their very own Coolhaus cookbook with recipes for some of their wacky ice creams and delicious cookies. You can also access some of their recipes through the SideChef app, which is available in the iTunes store. In order to get the best results from your recipe, Case suggests using a Cuisinart gel canister or commercial grade style ice cream maker.
Of course, since Coolhaus distributes their ice cream and ice cream sandwiches to almost 4,000 stores across the country like Whole Foods, Bristol Farms, and Gelson’s, if your frozen dairy treat doesn’t exactly turn out like you had planned, you can still wow friends with their incredible desserts at home.
We can’t wait to see what crazy delicious combos the Coolhaus girls have in store for Pasadena!
Coolhaus is located at 59 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. For more information, visit www.eatcoolhaus.com or follow them on Instagram @coolhaus