Lick Honest Ice Creams originated in Texas in 2011, the creation of Chad Palmatier and Anthony Sobotik. They said they put "honest" in the name because they use the purest ingredients and never use artificial colors or flavors, high fructose corn syrup or preservatives. And, they can trace every single ingredient they use to its source, collaborating with local chocolatiers, bee keepers and butchers and sourcing their milk and cream from family-owned dairy farms for every handmade batch.
We had a chat with Anthony to learn more about the ice cream which some flavors that sounds like they belong in a Shel Silverstein poem such as Cilantro Lime, Dewberry Corn Cobbler and Sage ice cream.
You and Chad lived in NYC before moving to Austin to launch Lick. Why did you think Austin was the right home for it? I grew up not far from Austin so I visited often as a kid and then I went to UT and fell in love with this city. I moved away after college, but I always knew I wanted to move back and make it my home once again. Austin just has a great sense of individuality and creativity so I felt confident that Lick would be embraced by the people of this city. Also, having grown up in the region with grandparents who were farmers, it was also incredibly important to me that Lick sourced from and supported family-owned farms in that same region.
You make seasonal ice creams based on what’s available at local farms. What have been some of your most outlandish flavors?To me and the team at Lick, we don't think of any of our flavors as outlandish. They're just flavor profiles we find interesting and delicious. But, I'd say the one that is the most out there is our Roasted Beets and Fresh Mint. It's a great example of using what is readily available to us from local farmers and creating something that's unexpected and delicious. Surprisingly, it's really popular with kids!
What’s an off-the-wall combo you tried that didn’t work? I think this might be the Basil & Tomato Jam flavor. The tomato jam came off too much like a marinara sauce and just wasn't sweet enough. Needless to say, it wasn't popular with customers, but I still think it can work! Maybe we'll try it again someday.
What’s a surprising ice cream flavor that you’re surprised did work?I was surprised by how well the Coconut Avocado Curd flavor came together. It exceeded my expectations and customers loved it!
What’s been your best-selling unique seasonal flavor? It's pretty much a tie between Sweet Cream & Strawberry, Lemon Lavendar and Hazel's Pumpkin Pie.
What’s your most popular overall flavor? Hill Country Honey and Vanilla Bean.
What are your and Chad’s favorite flavors? My favorite flavor is Cilantro Lime. It's the first flavor I made with the concept of Lick in mind and I never get tired of eating it, even after 15 years! Chad's favorite flavor is Orange Chocolate. He could eat it all year long.
How much ice cream do you each eat in a week? I'd say we both eat about a pint and a half a week on average. I eat it almost daily at home and then we have weekly quality check where I've been known to overdo it on occasion.
What seasonal ice creams are coming this summer? We have an orange dreamsicle ice cream with dye-free rainbow sprinkles. We'll also have Cilantro Lime, Just Peachy, Coconut Cream Pie and Cherry Limeade.