I love to pick up an affogatto at Penny Ice Creamery’s 41st Avenue location then take a walk along East Cliff, the bitter richness of Verve espresso a nice contrast against to creamy Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream. Then again, the salted caramel with burnt marshmallow fluff in their house-made cone is a close second choice. And I enjoy picking up a new read at Bookshop Santa Cruz then wandering over to Penny’s downtown to check out the newest flavors. And …
Penny Ice Creamery makes their eclectic flavors completely from scratch using produce sourced from area farms. They are the only ice creamery in Northern California that doesn’t have to use pre-made ice cream bases; they are a small dairy manufacturer. The level of detail pays off in the creamy tastiness of their flavors.
Their classics are the Tahitian vanilla bean and salted caramel along with dark chocolate sorbet, fresh mint chip, and Verve coffee with chocolate almond praline. The downtown location serves more as a lab for flavors they’re trying out, so don’t be surprised if you run across candy cap (maple-flavored mushroom) or rose geranium flavors! Their menu differs from location to location and changes often, but here is what the Downtown location had to offer one day this past January
Penny Ice Creamery became a Santa Cruz institution practically from the day of its grand opening in 2010. Owners Zachary Davis and former Manresa executive pastry chef Kendra Baker were able to open their vision of a sustainable, local ice creamery during a recession courtesy of 2009’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. They’ve certainly reinvested in the local community, expanding to four locations: the original downtown Santa Cruz shop, 41st Avenue near Portola, Aptos Village, and now in the Hangar building in Scotts Valley.
Visit Penny Ice Creamery’s Instagram page here.