Tucked into an old general store in the center of Groton village, you’ll find the Artesano Mead tasting room, but did you know it's also home to Artesano Ice Cream? Mead makers Mark Simakaski and his wife Nichole Wolfgang both completed the famous Penn State ice cream program years ago, and have been making small batch seasonal ice cream in addition to their honey wine for the past 10 years.
From the spring flavors of rhubarb and strawberries to the fall flavors of apples and pumpkin, Artesano ice cream is the purest taste of the season. Using local ingredients, honey from Vermont beekeepers, milk and cream from Hatchland Farm (12 miles away), and fruit from Vermont farmers allows for the freshest flavors.
Their flavors change day to day depending on what’s in season and available. Their newest ice cream uses Aronia berries (a dark purple berry native to North America) which offers a tart counterpoint to the sweet rounded flavor of the sweet cream.
As the season changes, look for strawberry sage, and a customer favorite, the Bees Knees, which is peanut butter ice cream with a honey caramel swirl (think of the classic honey and peanut butter sandwich). If you are a fan of classics like vanilla, chocolate, and maple, rest assured you’ll find those flavors too, in their purest form.
Mark says they have no plans to expand ". . . it’s fun at this scale." And the next time you visit the cozy village of Groton, you'll taste how much fun ice cream can be. Ice cream is available by the scoop, or packed into pint and quart to go containers.
The ice cream shop is open from late May through the beginning of October.
The Mead tasting room is open Wed - Sun; 12:00pm - 8:00pm, Memorial Day to Labor Day
Thurs - Sun; 12:00pm - 6:00pm, Labor Day to Columbus Day, and Saturdays Only; 11:00am - 4:00pm, after Columbus Day to New Year's.
Do you have a favorite ice cream spot? Drop us a line at [email protected]
