Wedding Ice

Blue Bell debuts a new ice cream flavor and you won't believe what it's fit for

Blue Bell, which prides itself on coming up with new and exciting flavors for its fanatically loyal clientele, has hit upon a wedding theme just in time for the summer matrimony season.

The little Brenham creamery has announced its latest flavor, Italian Cream Cake Ice Cream, described as "creamy vanilla ice cream with little pieces of delicious Italian cream cake, shredded coconut, roasted pecans and a smooth cream cheese icing swirl."

"We have had lots of success with flavors inspired by cakes so we figured we may be onto something."

“We’ve created a flavor that not only has all the ingredients of an Italian cream cake in each bite, but there are actual cake pieces in the ice cream too,” Wayne Hugo, general sales manager for Blue Bell, said in a statement. “I’m not sure it gets any better than that.”

Italian cream cake is a popular cake at Southern weddings, the creamery noted. "We have had lots of success with flavors inspired by cakes so we figured we may be onto something," Hugo said.

Other popular cake-infused ice creams include the Blue Bell Birthday Cake Ice Cream (chocolate cake combined with vanilla ice cream, a chocolate icing swirl and bright multi-colored sprinkles) and the Blue Bell Red Velvet Cake Ice Cream , which became an instant success when introduced last year.

Blue Bell has also recently introduced a new flavor called Lemon Bliss, which combines lemon ice cream with vanilla crème-filled cookies.

The Italian Cream Cake Ice Cream just arrived in stores and is alongside Caramel Turtle Cheesecake Ice Cream, which Blue Bell fans overwhelmingly voted to bring back in the creamery's "Crankin’ Back the Clock Flavor Contest." The cheesecake ice cream, which is filled with chocolate-coated caramel turtles, roasted pecans and cheesecake pieces with a chocolate cookie crust surrounded by a smooth caramel swirl, made its debut in 2010 and recently returned by popular vote.

Blue Bell's newest flavor is Italian Cream Cake.

new Blue Bell ice cream flavor Italian Cream Cake

Photo courtesy of Blue Bell

Blue Bell's newest flavor is Italian Cream Cake.

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At the Rickhouse

Favorite Texas brewery opens on-site restaurant at new distillery

K. Spoetzl Brewery & Distillery

A rickhouse is a building for aging distilled spirits like whiskey.

Just over a year after K. Spoetzl Brewery opened its distillery, it's debuting a new onsite restaurant and tasting room. The maker of Shiner Beer recently opened Rickhouse at 603 E Brewery St., in Shiner — about two hours from downtown Houston.

The new restaurant will focus on Texas-inspired cuisine using local ingredients. That's on-brand for K. Spoetzl, which is known for its Texas pride and earthy nostalgia. Naturally, it will also show off the distillery's work in craft cocktails and it'll cater to visitors coming off a distillery tours.

The team is hitting the ground running, offering Sunday brunch, weekend lunch, and daily dinner.

Diners can expect to see common brewery dishes in a range of styles: a jumbo Bavarian pretzel and Spoetzl Sliders; pizzas, including a seasonal "street corn" pie with cotija cheese, roasted corn, Shiner Bock barbecue chicken, and elote seasonings; chicken fried steak; and old-fashioned meatloaf. For dessert, much has a boozy element, such as Famous CinnaShine Cobbler and a vanilla custard bourbon bread pudding.

On the beverage side, Rickhouse will serve up a French martini with Shiner Texas Vodka and its own in-house coffee liqueur; the Big Buck Hunter with Shiner Texas Gin; and the Liquid Peach Cobbler with Shiner Cinnamon ‘Shine.

K. Spoetzl Distillery spirits These spirits will get to shine in cocktails at Rickhouse.Photo courtesy of K. Spoetzl Brewery & Distillery

The restaurant is part of a venue that spans 10,000 square feet, some of which will be used for live music and other events. The rest of the space contains a bar, a private dining room, and a 1,500-square-foot patio area.

“We’re incredibly proud to take this next step in Shiner’s story with the launch of our new restaurant and tasting room, Rickhouse,” said director of brewery and distillery operations Tom Fiorenzi in a press release. “Whether you’re here for a handcrafted spirit, a delicious meal, or just good conversation, we’re creating a space where tradition meets innovation in every pour and plate.”

Rickhouse will be open Mondays through Fridays from 4-10 pm, Saturdays from noon to 11 pm, and Sundays from 10 am to 3 pm. Cocktails and light bites will be available weekdays from noon to 4 pm for people visiting to tour the distillery.

cocktails spirits distillery whiskey vodka gin craft beer openings