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In a city brimming with ice cream brands, does Portland really need another company—one that could be considered a carpetbagger at that—specializing in frozen desserts? If you prefer scoops infused with alcohol, then the answer is a definitive “yes.”
Tipsy Scoop, a company that bills itself as the first shop in the Big Apple selling boozy ice cream, is opening an outlet at 3987 N Mississippi Ave. this coming spring.
According to Tipsy Scoop’s website, founder Melissa Tavss comes from a long line of ice cream makers in Europe—family members who started with a humble pushcart model that eventually grew into a chain of shops in Scotland and England.
Tavss decided to add liquor to the mix and began operating as a caterer in 2014 before finding space on grocery store shelves for packaged goods. The first “barlor,” as the company calls them, launched in 2017—there are now three stores in New York, one coming to Washington, D.C., in winter 2024 and another in Phoenix, which should be welcoming customers right around the same time the Portland joint is serving scoops.
While the local market might seem saturated, there are surprisingly few boozy ice cream offerings left in the Rose City. One of the most notable producers of spiked scoops was Mix ’n’ Match Creamery, which started as a food cart in 2012 before moving to the former Alameda Brewhouse building on Northeast Fremont Street in 2020. Owners Genevieve and Eric West used the space to continue its made-to-order liquid nitrogen ice cream business and operate Blind Ox Taphouse.
In 2021, Blind Ox opened a second, smaller location along the Max Yellow Line on North Interstate Avenue. West then ended up leaving Fremont after failed lease negotiations and consolidated operations inside the Interstate beer bar. At that point, ice cream was put on hold. Blue Ox eventually folded December 2022.
So what can you look forward to at Tipsy Scoop? The company promises it’s bringing its most popular flavors to town like Dark Chocolate Whiskey Salted Caramel, Cake Batter Vodka Martini and Mango Margarita Sorbet. Portland will also get an exclusive variety made with locally produced Wild Roots Marionberry Vodka and black raspberry ice cream.
For anyone who wants a preview of the business’s offerings, nationwide shipping is available.