FAQ

Why am I doing this? Why not! What’s more joyful and fun than eating ice cream in July? Perhaps you have a better idea. (I will be fighting fascism, murderous wars, and the disasters caused by wealth inequality in my spare time.)

Why now?  In 1984, President Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month. In 2020, Joe Biden was elected president and revived it, throwing ice cream parties at the White House every July.  (PS- Both Washington and Jefferson were known to be passionate about ice cream but failed to celebrate national holidays in its honor!)

How did you choose where to visit?  I’ve spent countless hours online and in direct conversations with all sorts of  ice cream “experts” to identify candidates for the tour. I focused mainly on shops that make their own product locally (though I will visit a handful of national brand shops that are particularly renowned in the ice cream world.)

Is gelato in the mix?  Yes.  It’s just ice cream with a fun Italian name.

How about non-dairy?  A little bit.  It’s hard not to be curious about how well ice cream chefs can create great products without milk and cream. (Sorbets are often delicious but I’m really talking about creamy products that closely resemble real ice cream.)

Aren’t you worried about the health implications of eating so much ice cream?  It is so profoundly helpful for one’s mental health that some argue that its blood sugar and cholesterol implications can be set aside.  That said, I will be taking a supplement (sterols and stanols) that have been shown to lower cholesterol in clinical tests, shaping my meals to balance out my high consumption of dairy fat. I’ll also do extra cholesterol screenings before and after the tour.

How else did you prepare for the journey?  Alexandra and Bill at Miller Maxfield Communications helped me a ton with learning how to use social media for the tour. I was pretty much Instagram illiterate until Alex showed me the way.  I also contacted lots of friends and family so they could plan to join me at shops along the way.  And I made some “business” cards to introduce myself and the tour to shop operators when I arrive.  And I bought I cheap pair of “smart glasses” so I can take pictures as I go into shops without having to fumble with a phone camera ($50 and they work fine.).

What is the “Supporting Immigrants” fund and what does this have to do with the ice cream tour?  I'm trying to use this tour to help raise some funds for an effort I support. Consider this: who do you think does the human part of the work to produce the milk and cream in ice cream?  In California, immigrants from Latin America make up the bulk of  the dairy industry work force and those folks need lots of support during this difficult time. This fund provides essential assistance to immigrant families in the Monterey Bay area (my home region). Donate to the Supporting Immigrants Fund here.

How will you rate the ice creams you taste?  This is not a competition and I won’t be scoring anyone.  I’ll probably just make some brief comments about each ice cream – mainly in celebrating their best qualities.

What are you learning about or asking about at each place you visit? I’m especially interested in finding out what each ice cream maker thinks is special and great about their ice cream.  I also want to learn about unique flavors—and which ones are the most popular.