The scoop on the best ice cream treats OTP

It's hard to pass up indulging in some ice cream on a hot and sticky afternoon in the thick of summer (sorry, summer body). A bevy of ice cream shops outside the Perimeter are making it easier than ever to satisfy your cravings, with seasonal, unique flavors, specialty cones, a smorgasbord of toppings, and even boozy creations to add a little extra buzz to your sugar high. Consider these treats across metro Atlanta. …

Butter & Cream 

Making its OTP debut last summer in Roswell, Butter & Cream is a small-batch purveyor of house-made ice cream. Naturally, they have all the classics (vanilla, chocolate, mint chocolate chip, etc.), but their seasonal flavors are what we crave most. This summer's flavors include a light and floral Tahitian vanilla, salted butterscotch, blueberry cobbler and — our favorite — cherry pie, made using buttery crust and fresh cherries. We can't wait to try the peaches and cream and peach sorbet, featuring Pearson Farms peaches, available later this month.

26 Webb St., Roswell. 770-998-7551, butterandcream.com.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

The Jeni’s location in Alpharetta nearly always has a line out the door. But, don’t let that deter you, because their extra creamy ice cream and unique flavors make the ideal treat to cool off while shopping the streets of Avalon. Belly up to the ice cream counter and taste some samples of their creative concoctions, which include new arrivals this season of peach buttermilk, pickled mango, watermelon buttermilk frozen yogurt, Supermoon (a mix of vanilla marshmallow and candied violet flavors), strawberry buttermilk, cream puff, frosé sorbet, dairy-free dark chocolate truffle, and lemon and blueberries buttermilk frozen yogurt — a combination of fruit juices, purees, buttermilk and yogurt that makes for a tart and creamy creation. If all else fails, order the brown butter almond brittle (one of the best-selling flavors) on a house-made waffle cone, and you’ll be good to go.

800 Avalon Blvd., Alpharetta. 678-894-1483, jenis.com/avalon.

Credit: Andrew Howard

Credit: Andrew Howard

Farm Burger and the Cowfish
In Dunwoody, shake things up (pun intended) with the sippable treats made just for adults at Farm Burger. Try a spiked shake option, like the Original Sin adult float, which has earthy, tart apple cider blended with sweet vanilla ice cream from local creamery Morelli's. Or, opt for the Nitrode to Mercy adult shake — it uses Georgia brewery Wild Heaven Beer's Ode to Mercy, canned with liquid nitrogen, and pairs the coffee-brown ale with Morelli's handmade vanilla ice cream. At the Cowfish in Dunwoody, spiked hand-spun milkshakes are also on the menu (like a tropical Island Breeze spiked shake with rum), but our favorite drinkable treat is geared toward all ages: the marshmallow crispy treat, featuring Rice Krispies and mallow cream blended with vanilla bean ice cream and topped with crispy rice treats.

Farm Burger. 4514 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody. 770-454-2201, farmburger.com.

The Cowfish. 400 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Atlanta. 770-225-0009, thecowfish.com.

Suga & Ice

Another option for an adult treat is Suga & Ice in Duluth, which serves alcohol-infused ice cream (don't worry, there are noninfused options for the kiddos and nonimbibers, too). Booze-infused flavors run the gamut, from pina colada and strawberry Champagne to whiskey Lucky Charms, bourbon candied bacon and Guinness chocolate chip, among others. Their noninfused "exotic" flavors include salted caramel, coconut, cheesecake brownie, peanut butter and jelly, mango sticky rice and others. Get your scoops on a regular waffle cone, or branch out to try the sweet potato, red velvet (yes, please!) or chocolate varieties. 

3095 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Duluth. 678-731-7211, sugaandice.com.

Four Fat Cows

Four Fat Cows in Alpharetta serves scoops, shakes, floats, sundaes, splits and “puffles” — yes, puffles. The puffle cone is a made-to-order, pillowy, puffy, vanilla cake cone that comes with two scoops of ice cream. Sure, they have standard cake, sugar and waffle cones, too, but we suggest you pass them up to try the puffle. Inside, go for one of the special summer ice cream flavors, which include raspberry brown butter jalapeno, blueberry lemon buttermilk pie, chocolate bourbon pecan pie, strawberry lemonade, strawberry balsamic and peach white macadamia nut.

64 N. Main St., Alpharetta. 470-268-5268, fourfatcows.com.

Scream’n Nuts

Providing another fun twist on the traditional cone is Scream’n Nuts in Alpharetta — a small-batch creamery and doughnut maker. Try their doughnut cone, made from the same recipe as their soft, yeast-raised doughnuts, but with a slightly different process. It has caramelized sugar on the outside, and is still soft on the inside (think waffle cone, but made with doughnuts), making for a fun twist on the traditional scoop-holder. The shop also has a decadent loaded doughnut shake (blending ice cream and doughnuts), and the Scream’n Nut — a hot, sealed doughnut stuffed with ice cream and your choice of topping and drizzle. In addition, a roster of unusual flavors rotates (think lavender violet, mango and an Instagram-worthy charcoal ice cream).

5950 Northpoint Parkway, Alpharetta. 404-474-4766, screamnnuts.com.

My Thai Style Ice Cream 
If you want to forget cones altogether, try one of the rolled ice cream shops around town, like My Thai Style Ice Cream in Marietta. Crafted from heavy cream, egg yolk and sugar — plus seemingly endless topping combinations — the treat is made on a cold work surface and is rolled up into multiple rolls, then served in a cup. You can choose from a pre-selected mix on the menu — like the Sweet Lime Pie or Cookie on Call — or opt to create your own by choosing a base flavor, one mix and three toppings (from coconut flakes and sprinkles to fruit, Cocoa Puffs, pretzel sticks and more). It might take longer to get your treat than the typical ice cream shop, but it's worth the wait.

2543 Bells Ferry Road, Marietta. 770-296-2975, mythaistyleicream.com.

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