Beat the heat on Ohio Ice Cream Trail

I scream, you scream — in fact, there's a whole lot of screaming when there's ice cream. In recognition of July being National Ice Cream Month, TourismOhio has compiled its annual Ohio Ice Cream Trail, spotlighting 20 local, family-owned and nationally-recognized scoop shops across the state. Findlay's Dietsch Brothers made the list, as did Bluffton's Dari Freeze. "The Ohio Ice Cream Trail is such a unique way to explore Ohio," said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Ohio Department of Development, in a press release. "The trail does a fantastic job showcasing Ohio's great dairy industry and small business spirit, while inspiring travelers to visit corners of the state they may have never visited before." According to information provided by Sarah Wickham, chief communications and marketing officer for the department of development, the first trail was organized in 2018. The original 15 stops were selected by taking into consideration geographic/region representation, while also making sure to include well-known, nationally-recognized shops, she said. Five additional stops have since been added. Wickham said these were selected by popular vote via online balloting in the summer of 2018. The winners were then added to the map for the summer of 2019. This isn't the first time the Findlay business has been named to the ice cream trail, said Erika Dietsch Brokamp, who manages the wholesale division for the company and operations at the West Main Cross Street store. Dietsch's also appears on this year's ice cream guide compiled by Ohio Magazine, she said. "We're excited about it. We just celebrated 85 years, so it's good to be on that and get people in," she said. The local ice cream eatery offers around 40 flavors of ice cream and sherbet in addition to seasonal flavors that run the alphabet gamut from Amaretto Cherry to Watermelon Sherbet. Despite all of the interesting flavor concoctions like Chocolate Pretzel Caramel Swirl and Mint Fudge Brownie, the business sells more vanilla than any other flavor. Brokamp said it's partly because vanilla is used as a base in sundaes, malts and milk shakes. "I think, just by default, because of all the sundaes and malts and stuff kind of start with vanilla. I think that's just naturally why," she said. "There're people that certainly come in and get a scoop of vanilla, but I think what drives that number is how we use it." Brokamp said she spotted an issue of Ohio Magazine that featured its 25-shop ice cream guide while she was in Columbus last weekend. "So I flipped through it. There's definitely a couple we've been to. But there's ones, and you read about them every year, and it's like, I have got to take my kids," she said. "Even for us, we need to go and check those out." And this is the time of year when the cold, sweet treat is especially popular. "We're a little bit ahead of where we were last year. I think it's just how summer has gone and it is warmer and there's so much going on," Brokamp said. It used to be when it was too hot, people just didn't come out, she said. "My grandfather would say, 'Oh, if it's like 90-plus degrees, we'll be really slow.' Well, now I don't think that's as big a deal because there's air conditioning everywhere. I think people will get out just a little bit, but they'll get right back in their air-conditioned car," she said. Brokamp said Ohio Magazine and TourismOhio do a good job of promoting the state and its businesses. "We're in the heart of summer and so I think people are looking for stuff to do with their kids. If they're up in the Toledo area, it's not that long of a drive so I do think it kind of gives people ideas," she said. "Maybe some are adventurous and go around all summer long and try different places. But I know in the past we've had people that came in and said, 'Oh, we saw it and here we are.'" The Dari Freeze at the corner of South Main Street and South Bentley Road is also part of this year's trail. The trail description for the business reads: "The Dari Freeze has been a small town staple in the village of Bluffton for nearly 70 years. This small corner shop serves up big flavor. Create your own milkshake, order a classic twist cone with Krunch topping, or choose from one of their dairy-free options to beat the summer heat. Pair your treat with a bite to eat!" Learn more about the other locations at Ohio.org/Ice-Cream-Trail