Magic Makers: Unpack the incredible stories and flavors of our Summer Picnic Series

Our Summer Picnic series will take you on a 5 course taste adventure bringing iconic picnic staples to life by partnering with some of the best in the business. We took inspiration from some of our friends from around the country who elevate their craft and techniques to the next level.

We start our feast with a cheers to the fruits of summer with our Pink Rosé & Watermelon Sorbet. This fresh watermelon & rosé sorbet is drizzled with a housemade rosé-infused raspberry jam made using a bright, floral, almost fruity pinot noir rosé from Sokol Blosser. Founded in 1970 as one of the very first wineries in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Sokol Blosser bottles some of the most sophisticated yet approachable wines in the region. We love what they do because they are equally focused on sustainability as they are creating delicious wine, winning the 2021 B Corp “Best for the World” Award for Environmental Excellence for their third time. 

Every good picnic includes a starter of cheese, crackers, and fruit and we knew we needed to follow suit with our Baked Brie & Fig Cheesecake. We love the balance of deep fruitiness from fig jam smeared through a salted ice cream and pieces of whipped brie cheesecake with a Ritz cracker crust. Once we lay down that buttery cracker crust, we pile on heaps of cheesecake filling made with Mt. Tam cheese from our friends at Cowgirl Creamery. Nicknamed “Brie’s quirky Californian cousin” Mt. Tam is a gorgeous triple cream cheese made using organic milk from neighboring dairies in Petaluma, all of whom are committed to regenerative agriculture. The intense buttery texture, bloomy rind, and light mushroom aroma make Mt. Tam the perfect cheese to bring extra depth and richness to our cheesecake.

Another picnic staple is the crowd-pleasing devilled egg. This quickly devoured appetizer was incredibly exciting for us to reimagine in ice cream form. Deviled Egg Custard w/ Smoked Black Tea deconstructs the flavors and components of devilled eggs and churns out something mind-blowingly yummy. We start with a rich eggy custard infused with an otherworldly Kala Namak black salt from Bitterman Salt Co. which brings a bold salty flavor and a unique sulfur profile. Then we bake off a smoked tea crumble infused with a Zheng Shan Tea, a black tea smoked with pine from Steven Smith Teamakers that packs a wallop of complexity and aroma. We love working with tea from Steven Smith Teamakers in Portland for their game-changing creativity and nuance building evocative blends of full-leaf teas and botanicals.

The main course in our picnic spread is a divinely balanced, sweet, spicy, umami marriage of two epic summer favorites: Fried Chicken & Ice Cream. We deep fry fresh croissants, torn into bits, with chicken fat until golden crispy perfection, and churn them into a salted honey ice cream with a shake of special spices to finish with a sweet-heat kick. Inspired by Ezell’s Famous Chicken, one of Seattle’s most dearly beloved gems, we aim to bring all the glorious techniques and flavors of “Oprah’s favorite fried chicken” to life. Everything Ezell’s does, from their 24 hour house marinade, double battering, secret sauce, and sensational cayenne heat, makes them a cut above the rest, and you’ll taste all that love and craftsmanship in every spoonful of our Cinnamon & Honey Fried Chicken.

Every meal deserves to be capped off with a great dessert and our Chocolate Nocino Cherry Pie fills that role wonderfully. A rich, single-origin chocolate ice cream using San Francisco’s Dandelion Chocolate gets spiked with bittersweet aromatic Nocino brandy from Stone Barn Brandyworks in SE Portland, and hunks of rustic cherry slab pie. The summery sweetness of cherry pie and flakey pie crust harmonizes with the deep bitter notes of chocolate. And the final touch of Nocino, a walnut liqueur intricately crafted by Stone Barn Brandyworks using fresh, neighborhood harvested green walnuts that are macerated and fermented with rye whiskey, pinot noir brandy, vanilla, and warming spices, brings intrigue and magic to every scoop.

We hope you taste the care and creativity from all these incredible partners in this summer’s ice cream picnic feast.