Ube: What is This Purple Thing?
What the heck is ube? Ube, a purple yam native to the Philippines, is not only visually stunning but also incredibly delicious. Its unique flavor is sweet, vanilla-y, and nutty. Watch the video to learn a little about it.
Have you had our Ube Heath Bar Crunch ice cream??? Comment and let us know.
About to start college? Ian Has Something To Tell You
Ian's worked at Alleyway since since 2018. He's about to be a college sophomore. We're very proud of him.
Everyone's basically in the same boat – nervous and excited with no cliquey groups or friends from high school to cling to. It's a blank slate for everyone. It's crazy how fast you can go from total strangers to feeling like you've known someone forever. You're thrown into these dorms and classes, and suddenly you're talking with anyone who'll listen. It's like a friend hunt, and everyone's a willing participant. Everyone wants connections. There's an unspoken agreement that we're all in this together, trying to build our own little college families. These initial weeks are the foundation, where you can feel the buzz of potential friendships all around campus. It's wild how quickly things can click when nobody's got their own crew yet. So, yeah, we're all nervous, but we're all just going for it. A transformative journey is ahead and it's pretty damn awesome.
Alleyway at Adams, MyTown Marketplace & More
Calcutta Kitchens in Kingston
Julian here. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. Your unwavering support is truly unbelievable. Each day, I pour my heart and soul into bringing Alleyway Ice Cream closer to you.
I'm excited to share some wonderful news since our last newsletter. Alleyway Ice Cream is in four new locations, and I'm thrilled to announce that we’ve made our debut in local grocery stores for the first time ever! The new places you can now find our pints are:
Adams in Lake Latrine
MyTown Marketplace in Stone Ridge
Calcutta Kitchens in Kingston
Ruby Hill Farm in Clinton Corners
Alleyway needs your support to make sure our ice cream stays in their freezers. If our ice cream doesn't fly off the shelves, they’re going to take it out to make room for other products. Your love for Alleyway has brought us this far, and I’m counting on you to keep the momentum going. So please, if you see Alleyway in a freezer, buy it! It will help keep our ice cream available for everyone to enjoy.
Why Our Matcha Tastes So Good
Here I am in Kyoto drinking matcha, eating matcha ice cream, and matcha tiramisu.
Last December, right after Alleyway closed and Japan finally welcomed tourists back, I got to taste some real matcha for the first time. It was a game-changer and that’s when I realized that Alleyway's matcha needed a serious upgrade. So, I went on a mission and found this amazing matcha straight from Kagoshima. Kagoshima is the best region for organic matcha thanks to the active Sakurajima volcano and nutrient packed volcanic soil. It’s very expensive, but perfect for our ice cream.
What I Learned About Matcha
Matcha’s history goes back at least 800 years with roots in Zen Buddhism. Initially introduced to Japan by Zen monks, the ceremonial preparation and consumption of matcha became an integral part of their meditation practice. The delicate process involves grinding shade-grown tea leaves into a fine powder, which is then whisked into a frothy drink using a bamboo whisk and hot water. This meditative ritual remains alive in traditional tea ceremonies, where every movement is deliberate and imbued with meaning.
How Ben & Jerry’s Makes Nearly One Million Pints A Day
Fun fact: Ben & Jerry’s makes about a million pints a day and their minimum run per flavor is 80,000 pints. Watch the video and go on a tour of their factory. It runs 24/7.
My favorite Ben & Jerry’s flavor is Mint Chocolate Cookie. What’s your favorite flavor? Have you been to their factory in person? It’s about a four hour drive from Saugerties. I went about three times before opening Alleyway.
FYI: Alleyway makes an average of 60 pints per day. Ben & Jerry’s has nothing to worry about (yet)...
What Happened to Friendly's?
Do you remember Friendly’s? Did you know there used to be three location in Kingston? I recently watched this video about the rise and fall of Friendly’s. My Dad used to take me and my sister there as kids and I always got a Cone Head Sundae.
Did you go there? What did you get and what are your memories? What do you think went wrong?
The Ultimate Guide to Keeping Your Pints Fresh and Delicious
1 - Freezer Temperature. Keep your ice cream in optimal condition by setting your freezer temperature as cold as possible, ideally 0°F or below. This helps prevent unwanted ice crystals.
2. - Plastic Wrap. Protect remaining ice cream from freezer burn by tightly pressing plastic wrap to the surface to create a barrier against the freezer's cold air.
3. - Avoid the Thaw-Freeze Cycle. Repeatedly thawing and refreezing ice cream negatively impacts its quality by causing the formation of ice crystals. When you take the pint out of the freezer, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften. Scoop out some ice cream and promptly return the rest to the freezer.
4 - Location. Proper freezer placement is key. Avoid storing it near the freezer door, where temperature fluctuations are more likely. Instead, place it toward the back of the freezer, where the temperature remains more consistent.
5 - Share. If you find yourself with too much ice cream, consider sharing the joy with friends, family, or neighbors. Not only does it create a delightful surprise for them, but it also prevents excessive storage time.
Milk: 4 Reasons We Use Hudson Valley Fresh
1 - Passion: Hudson Valley Fresh was founded by a group of nine family-owned dairy farms in 2004. These Hudson Valley farmers share a passion for sustainable farming practices and a dedication to the highest quality dairy.
2 - Fresh Milk: Hudson Valley Fresh takes great pride in delivering farm-fresh, locally produced dairy. Cows are pasture-raised, and the milk is delivered within hours of milking.
3 - Care: Environmental sustainability is at the core of Hudson Valley Fresh's mission. Their member farms promote responsible land management, conservation of natural resources, and animal welfare.
4 - Quality: It’s the best tasting milk in the world.
Find out more about Hudson Valley Fresh
Meet the farmers