9 Places To Celebrate National Ice Cream Month

Holy sweetness.

Did you know July is National Ice Cream month? Surprise! Not that we needed a special month (or any other reason) to enjoy a good ol’ heap of gelato, but we’re gonna go ahead and enjoy an extra scoop for the occasion. In honour of this special month, we’ve gathered a list of some of the sweetest ice cream spots around town.

1. Mister Artisan Ice Cream

Care for a taste of science? If you want to feel extra fancy while you enjoy your ice cream then Mister is the place to be. Mister uses molecular gastronomy to make their smooth (organic), liquid-nitrogen desserts. Even Adele is a fan—she gave a two-thumbs-up shout-out to Mister in 2016.https://www.instagram.com/p/BjgFyi3H3pO/?hl=en&taken-by=madebymister

2. Earnest Ice Cream

It’s hard to mention ice cream in Vancouver without bringing up Earnest. But that’s probably because this local hotspot dishes out some of the most beloved flavours in the city, with popular picks like London fog, matcha green tea, and whiskey hazelnut.https://www.instagram.com/p/BkDxGp9lIY5/?hl=en&taken-by=earnesticecream

3. Milkcow Cafe

With 60 stores worldwide, this famous Asian dessert chain is best known for its exotic flavours, like Santorini (Oreo and pistachio with tropical blue syrup and cotton candy), Milky Cube (natural milk soft serve with honeycomb toppings) and the Macao Dream (sweet macaron almond on vanilla soft serve ice cream).https://www.instagram.com/p/BktIPQNlP3j/?hl=en&taken-by=milkcowcanada

4. Soft Peaks Ice Cream

This Gastown spot specializes in soft serve, and its swirled offerings stand out from its competitors’ scoops. Made from organic milk and other locally sourced ingredients, choose from Original Peak, Sunrise in California (original soft serve topped with Yuzu marmalade), Blue Mountain (blueberry) and the seasonal Snowberry (regular soft serve topped with strawberries, syrup and oatmeal granola).https://www.instagram.com/p/Bknjr4oAOph/?hl=en&taken-by=softpeaksicecream

5. Glenburn Soda Fountain & Confectionery

A blast from the past is just what you’ll find at Glenburn Soda Fountain and Confectionery. While classic ice cream sundaes and shakes are the main attractions of this family-owned parlour, the vintage vibes and retro decor are part of the fun, too. Traditional flavours like vanilla, chocolate, strawberry marble, maple walnut, mint chocolate chip and coffee crunch are all sourced from Abbotsford’s Birchwood Dairy Farm.https://www.instagram.com/p/BSnAAqvF7xN/?hl=en&taken-by=glenburnsoda

6. 720 Sweets

The soft-serve ice cream at this local shop is often sold out and it’s not hard to see why; thanks to an infusion of liquid nitrogen and colourful toppings (like roasted marshmallows and cookie bars), 720 Sweets is known for its eye-catching concoctions. The menu offers a litany of creative flavours, like Milk’ee (crushed walnuts, caramel drizzle, expresso grass jelly and crunchy almond cookie) and Honey 720 (honey drizzle over a golden honeycomb).https://www.instagram.com/p/BlCC0A0jFuU/?hl=en&taken-by=720sweets

7. Rain or Shine Ice Cream

While Vancouver has no shortage of choice when it comes to picking an ice cream spot (see: the rest of this list), Rain or Shine is a great place to start. They specialize in homemade, Philadelphia-style ice cream made flavours like honey lavender, blueberry balsamic or the limited edition PLT Sorbet (pink peppercorn, lemon and thyme).https://www.instagram.com/p/BlEmkPWlgXt/?hl=en&taken-by=rainorshineyvr

8. Bella Gelateria

You’ve probably spotted the long lines snaking out this downtown spot if you were in the area, and for good reason, too. Bella Gelateria serves handcrafted Italian gelato with creative twists from around the world. Unique flavours include Akbar Mashti (saffron and rosewater gelato with roasted pistachios), black sesame, buko pandan (pandan leaves and coconut), chocolate Belgian brownie or Essex (sweetened milk with Vancouver Island Sea Salt).https://www.instagram.com/p/BIp9vf7gbQs/?taken-by=bellagelateria

10. Tangram Creamery

Expect gourmet ice cream made on-site at the Tangram Creamery. This cozy spot features a rotating menu of double chocolate, Hoji-cha (Japanese Green Tea), Nutella apricot, mango sorbet, Tahitian vanilla and more.https://www.instagram.com/p/BfABrFon_ym/?hl=en&taken-by=tangramcreamery