Ashby’s Sterling Ice Cream

Detroit, Michigan

Ashby’s Sterling Ice Cream is the product of a family’s dream come true.

Brothers Tom, Rick, Gary, and Jim Dais first opened Ashby’s when they noticed the gap between Michigan’s regular supermarket ice cream and its expensive, super premium ice cream stores.

The brothers wanted to produce an old-fashioned ice cream similar to what they enjoyed growing up in Detroit.

The name Ashby’s Sterling Ice Cream was chosen to reflect the shop’s Welsh heritage and dedication to quality.

“Ashby” is a classic Scandinavian name and “Sterling” has a connotation of purity and superiority.

After years of searching for the perfect recipe, the brothers settled on an ice cream formula made of 14 percent butterfat and 85 percent overrun, something very close to the actual recipe used when they were kids.

The first eight flavors were manufactured and sold in February 1985 in the Detroit area.

The original flavors included: French Vanilla, Chocolate, Butter Pecan, German Chocolate Cake, Strawberry, Mint Cookie, Praline-N-Pecan, and Chocolate Chips ‘N Chunks.

Today, the list includes over 60 unique flavors of ice cream, sherbet, sorbet, and “no sugar added” items.

The Key Lime Pie and Lemon Bar Cheesecake are must-haves, and the Ultimate Peanut Butter Brownie (peanut butter ice cream with fudge brownies and caramel swirl) will definitely send your taste buds on the ride of their lives.

Check out other ice cream shops around the country that you can visit for National Ice Cream Month.

By Benjamin Louis Gluck for PeterGreenberg.com