Old-School Ice Cream Flavors Are the Best Ice Cream Flavors

Long live rum raisin!
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova

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I’ve been told that my taste in ice cream isn’t exactly appropriate for my age. I have braved the laughter, the scrutiny, and the scorn from my peers after proudly ordering a scoop ofrum raisinwhen I can find it. A friend of mine once told me that I like ice cream that only elderly people would eat. To that I say, wrong! These flavors aren't only for the old; they're just oldschool。还有一个原因老派冰淇淋的味道s have withstood the test of time: They are simultaneously delightful and uncomplicated. While an array of trendy flavors like goat cheese creme brûlée or blondie cookie dough crumble have eclipsed more nostalgic flavors, the classics are still amazing, regardless of your age.

Below are some popular gourmet ice cream companies that make their fair share of flavors both old and new. If you haven’t already tried them, consider ordering some of these timeless flavors to see what you’ve been missing.

Van Leeuwen Pistachio

Make no mistake, Van Leeuwen is a cool ice cream brand. The simple chromatic packaging pulls focus in any frozen food aisle and its shops regularly command lines out the door. But even with all that coolness, Van Leeuwen understands the merits of pistachio ice cream. Possibly the least-maligned old-school ice cream flavor, the taste of pistachio comes alive in frozen dessert form, resembling the cherry-like notes of marzipan.

Van Leeuwen Pistachio Ice Cream, 6 Pints

Graeter's Butter Pecan

People like to pretend thatsalted caramelice cream was the flavor that brought sweet and salty to the frozen dessert mainstream. Meanwhile, butter pecan, which often features salted pecans, has been in your nana’s fridge all along. Epi’s David Tamarkin hails from Cincinnati and by state law is a die-hard fan of Graeter’s Ice Cream, which happens to make an excellent butter pecan.

Graeter's Butter Pecan, 6 Pints

Bassett’s Butterscotch Vanilla

Butterscotchhas long had a reputation for being that candy found at the bottom of your grandmother’s purse. But butterscotch is just caramel made with brown sugar instead of white, which means it just has more flavor. Bassett’s in Philly has been making ice cream since 1861 and is an authority on expertly crafted classic butterscotch flavor.

Bassett’s Butterscotch Vanilla, 6 Pints

Brothers Spumoni Ice Cream

Most people have probably heard of Neopolitan ice cream, but Spumoni is the far superior (in my opinion) three-striped ice cream flavor that is popular in Italian-American enclaves. Classic Spumoni, like the kind made by Brothers Desserts in California, consists of three flavors: pistachio, cherry chip, and chocolate ice cream, with lots of textured pieces swirled throughout.

Brothers Spumoni Ice Cream, 6 Pints

Taste the Tropics Rum Raisin

Rum raisin, my beloved, is not an easy flavor to find. I recently learned that rum raisin, as well as another personal favorite, grape nut ice cream, is especially popular in both Maine and the Caribbean. While it doesn’t deliver nationwide, Brooklyn-based ice cream company Taste the Tropics is a savior, proudly making a rum raisin flavor.

Taste the Tropics Rum Raisin, 56 oz.