Summer is drawing near, and that means one thing in the Mile High City: ice cream! Favorites like Sweet Cow, Little Man, and High Point Creamery have all announced plans for impending expansion; artisan creamery Heifer and the Hen is coming to Boulder later this month. And, as of early April, newcomer Frozen Matter began scooping in Uptown.

Frozen Matter stands out from the parlor pack for one big reason: As far as owners Josh Gertzen and Geraldine Kim are aware, their shop is the only one in Colorado (and one of few in the entire U.S.) licensed to operate as a dairy plant. That means that Frozen Matter is pasteurizing its own milk in house rather than bringing in a premade base from a dairy, as 98% of creameries in the country do. Every flavor is made entirely from scratch in an open kitchen, including most of the mix-ins like toffee and marshmallow fluff.

Of the some 16 or so rotating flavors, there are some real winners. Chocolate lovers will delight in the simple milk & cookies: a hot cocoa-esque chocolate ice cream generously studded with gigantic chunks of Newman’s Own Organic Newman-O’s (the Frozen Matter folks blind tasted a variety of store-bought and house-made chocolate wafer cookies and these won the popular vote). For something a bit more adventurous, the Beet Goes On—a gorgeous magenta-hued blend of beet juice, honey, and cinnamon—is creamy yet delicate and nuanced.

And although many ice cream shops cater to the under-12 set, Frozen Matter has more of an adult vibe. Sit at the sleek white bar and ask for your treat to be paired with a specially selected tipple. Pairings include mindful combos like vanilla ice cream with bitters-spiked bourbon and hazelnut toffee ice cream with vermouth. The booze is served alongside the scoops, so it’s your call as to whether you pour it on top affogato style, or simply enjoy sips between each spoonful.

And speaking of booze, Frozen Matter has a surprise in store for Denverites: Over the next month or so, Kim and Gertzen are opening a hidden cocktail lounge at the back of the creamery (the entrance is disguised as a decoy freezer door). Cocktails and ice cream in one place? We might never leave.

530 E. 19th Ave., 720-600-6358

Callie Sumlin
Callie Sumlin
Callie Sumlin is a writer living in Westminster, and has been covering food and sustainability in the Centennial State for more than five years.