There are few traditions more sacred in Northern New England in than going out for soft serve ice cream in the summer (in local parlance, a “Creemee”, although the spelling varies a bit). Indeed, most folks hold an extra special fondness for taking it to the next level by getting a maple creemee, and there’s more than a little discussion, often heated, around local water coolers about which place has the best creemees. I certainly have my regional favorites (my overall favorite is Mac’s Maple in Plainfield, NH, although I’ve got to give a good nod to Red Hen in in Middlesex, VT for having far and away the best waffle cone in the region), but it’s one of those treats I only sporadically indulge in due to my becoming lactose intolerant about 20 years ago. With that in mind, I was drawn to a spot in Winooski, VT, for two particular reasons. The first was that this ice cream stand uses 100% plant-based products, so I can indulge without the usual gastrointestinal unrest. The second was… the name. Offbeat Creemee. With a name like that, I had to give them a visit.
Offbeat Creemee takes a little bit of work to find. While Winooski is Vermont’s smallest municipality (at 1.5 mi², it is even smaller than the gores), Offbeat Creemee is located not in central Winooski, but off in the west side of town in a residential area, because it is located at the Myers Municipal Pool (indeed, during our visit, we had to negotiate the crowds of a swim meet). Taking over what used to be the pool snack bar, Offbeat Creemee sets out to serve “inclusive, plant-based ice creams inspired by childhood nostalgia, driven by boldness and accessible to all.”, so they’ve got an array of non-dairy soft serve flavors.
I was craving chocolate, and decided to get a straight up chocolate soft serve cone. A bit darker in color than most chocolate creemees (mostly from the lower fat content of most dairy alternatives), it’s also a slightly softer product with slightly larger crystals, but overall still a very soft and smooth product, with very rich dark chocolate notes. I could tell from the first taste that this particularly soft serve at Offbeat is coconut-milk based, but that combined very nicely with the chocolate. Really, I enjoyed this cone a lot. Is it going to replace my occasional maple creemee? Not really. But it’s really nice that if I’m around Winooski and craving an ice cream treat, it’s great to know that someone’s catering to both folks like me with dairy avoidance, as well as those observing vegan and other dairy-free lifestyles. And at the end of the day, it’s still a great cone.
One note: Offbeat Creemee is semi-seasonal: they try to keep year-round hours, but take several long breaks in the year during the seasonal shifts, and have, understandably, shorter hours in the colder months. Make sure to check their website or social media before seeking them out (at the moment, they are only open on weekends for Fall hours).
