INDIANAPOLIS — Lick Ice Cream began as a labor of love.
“The idea came to me when my son was really young,” co-owner Meredith Kong said. “I couldn't find good ice cream around Indy that didn't have a bunch of just stuff I didn't want to feed my kids.”
Kong quickly found herself feeding homemade ice cream to friends and family, and the thought of sharing her sweet treats with others began to churn.
Kong founded Lick Ice Cream with her sister and co-owner Kelly Ryan in 2010.
“I couldn't imagine doing it with anyone else,” Kong said. “After 13 years doing this, we still love each other, so we're doing something right.”
And doing something right starts with the basics.
“We are one of the only places in Indy that make our ice cream base completely from scratch,” Kong said. “We use cream, milk, cane sugar, vanilla and egg yolks. That is our base for everything.”
Two things you won’t find in ice cream at Lick are stabilizers and preservatives.
“People are like, ‘This tastes homemade,’ and while it's not homemade, it's made from scratch,” Kong said.
It’s ice cream with flavors rooted in Indiana-grown ingredients.
“We use a lot of local produce to get our inspiration,” Kong said.
From Indiana sweet corn to blueberries, Lick Ice Cream has unique flavors that will keep your taste buds busy.
“It's kind of whatever's in season,” Kong said. “And in the winter, it's real fun because we get to do a lot of alcoholic flavors [because there is] not much in-season in Indiana in the winter.”
Kong says among her favorite creations are Raspberry Cheesecake, Coffee Chip and Sweet Corn. She says the most popular flavor among her customers is their Brown Butter Cookie Dough.
“Brown butter just makes everything more delicious,” Kong said.
But not every flavor turns out delicious.
“We had a Pink Peppercorn and Fig one that we always say was just terrible,” Kong said. “It was gross. There's definitely flavors that we have bombed for sure.”
No matter if customers lick it or leave it, they always come back for more.
“There is just something nostalgic and wonderful about the magic that happens when cream and milk get turned into this lovely, delicious dessert.”
Kong says she would like to continue to grow Lick Ice Cream.
“My goal in the next 5 years is to definitely have several more shops. We live in Irvington, and I would love to explore that neighborhood.”
“I have the best job ever because I get to see people at their happiest,” Kong said. “No one's upset when they come to get ice cream, and so I get to see people at their happiest. I just I love my job.”
You can visit Lick Ice Cream at The Garage at Bottleworks or in South Broad Ripple at 1049 E 54th Street.
