Partners Anthony Sobotik and Chad Palmatier opened a small scoop save in South Austin in the fall of 2011, crafting small batches of artisan ice cream from Texas-sourced ingredients. Sobotik, who hails from Hallettsville – a small community in the heart of the rural Central Texas location settled through Czech immigrants – became inquisitive about meals and cooking at an early age. Upon assembly, Palmatier, originally from Pennsylvania’s Amish country, their farming community upbringing solidified their connection.
Robotnik commenced experimenting with ice cream making, hoping to open a commercial enterprise of their own. Thanks to their commitment to each different and their dreams, Lick Honest Ice Cream now boasts three stores and a cell truck in Austin, one shop in San Antonio, and additional Texas growth deliberate for 2020. Hand-packed pints in their maximum famous flavors are to be had at numerous shops at some stage in the country and shipped nationwide via Goldbelly.
“If we can get it clean in season from Texas, we will put it in our ice creams,” says Palmatier, an indoors dressmaker with the aid of change who designed the look and feel in their secure storefronts. Robotnik uses milk and cream from Mill-King Dairy, which provides the ice cream with a delightful texture without being overwhelmingly rich. He uses nearby merchandise like Goodfellow Honey and Pure Luck goat cheese, resources produced from Johnson’s Backyard Garden, Boggy Creek Farm, and Rain Lily Farm, among others, and favors the abundant local spirits for his first-rate creations.
Obviously, a few substances like coconut milk, vanilla, and ginger are not grown locally but are sourced cautiously to make certain the great pleasant possible. They rotate flavors with the seasons and offer unique picks for vacations or “on every occasion, Anthony has a new brainstorm,” as Palmatier puts it.
“Our cognizance is usually to rejoice in the flavors, seasons, and culture of Texas through our ice creams,” says Sobotik. I draw my inspiration from ingredients I grew up consuming and what our nearby farmers are developing for the season. Texas Sheet Cake and Dewberry Corn Cobbler are first-rate examples of cakes I grew up enjoying and baking, which have found new lives as seasonal ice lotions. And there are flavors which can be stimulated by the produce and subculture of Texas, as well as the season, along with Loquat Margarita, one among our current summertime offerings.”
Robotnik additionally makes coconut milk-based vegan flavors, along with a ridiculously brilliant Chocolate-Chocolate and a Coconut Caramel Cream. “We’ve been making dairy-free and vegan flavors due to the fact we opened eight years ago due to the fact we’ve got constantly believed that all people need to be able to enjoy remarkable, creamy ice cream,” says Sobotik. For this summer, they brought again certainly one of their unique flavors, Coconut Avocado Curd. They brought Peach Berry Swirl, a new flavor made with neighborhood peaches and a trifecta of berries.
Aside from reaping the rewards of their groups with super frozen treats, they also give back to neighborhood non-profit organizations. For Pride Month, Lick offers a legit “Fundae” available at all scoop stores, with a portion of proceeds donated to Out Youth. The Fundae is made with one scoop of Blushing Blueberry, Lemonade Pound Cake, and Loquat Margarita ice lotions topped with their new residence-made toppings: mixed berry sauce, Mill-King whipped cream, and colored sprinkles.
Despite the logo’s resounding success and inevitable growth, the couple continues to be as humble as when they commenced and just as dedicated to excellence, their favorite reasons, and every other. “Our manufacturing and sources have not been affected at all,” says Sobotik. “We nevertheless churn all our ice cream in three to 5-gallon batches, percent each pint by hand, and make every component delivered to our ice lotions from scratch in our kitchen.”