Visit just about any ice cream parlor in Michigan, and you will find a strange mixture of blue, red, and yellow among the Moose Tracks, Rocky Road, Chocolate, and Vanilla. It’s the famous Superman Ice Cream that you heard about. It’s named after a well-known superhero that wears the three colors on his outfit. Local legend said that a brewery put the flavors together in Detroit during prohibition in the 1930s. Let’s explore the true story and some of the tall tales surrounding one of Michigan’s favorite ice cream flavors.
What Is Alluring About Superman Ice Cream Flavor?
The bright yellow is lemon, the deep red tastes like another Detroit icon, Faygo Red Pop, lastly, the blue swirls stands-in as another favorite Michigan flavor all to itself; Blue Moon.
The taste of red, yellow, and blue-swirled ice cream might vary depending on which ice cream store scoops it: the yellow could be vanilla or lemon, and the red could be black cherry or red pop, but the blue is always Blue Moon.
There’s a bit of a mystery about the Blue Moon taste. Blue Moon is a vivid blue color conundrum with dubious origins, reported to include anything from Froot Loops to marshmallows. Even though several companies produce the taste, there is continuous disagreement about which essential components contribute to its trademark fruity sweetness. According to Food.com, the recipe, which consists of raspberry flavoring, lemon oil, and vanilla pudding mix, is an exact match for the Michigan flavor.
Is Superman Ice Cream Only Sold in Michigan?
Superman Ice Cream should be called Great Lakes Superman Ice Cream. We challenge you to find this frozen concoction anywhere outside those states that hug the shorelines of the five Great Lakes.
Michigan doesn’t own the right to say it “owns” this flavor. While it was invented in Detroit, it is also a kid favorite in Cleveland. So the brightly colored frozen treat is a Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio specialty.
Did A Local Detroit Brewery Invent Superman Ice Cream?
Desperate times call for desperate measures. So when prohibition forced brewers to cease beer production, one enterprising brewer decided to produce a treat that would eventually outlive the brewery itself.
In 1933, Julius Stroh, the head of Stroh’s Brewery, decided to convert the beer-brewing facilities of its factory in Detroit to produce non-alcoholic products. The company brewed non-alcohol near beer, soft drinks, malt extract, and ice cream. Strohs created the “Alaska” brand to market its assorted flavors, including Superman ice cream. This venture proved to be profitable and popular and profitable enough to continue even after resuming brewing beer.
Stroh Brewery Company ceased brewing operations in 1999 after selling all of its brands to Pabst Brewing Company and Miller Brewing Company. Melody Farms ran Stroh’s Ice Cream for numerous years, preserving Stroh’s name until Dean Foods bought it in 2005.
What Brands Make Superman Ice Cream?
We were surprised to learn that Michigan is ranked fifth top producer of ice cream in the nation. Suppose you are looking for Superman ice cream for your next party. Several brands make it. Other companies have similar ice creams, but with a variation on super in the name.
Hudsonville Ice Cream calls its version Superscoop. Their recipe is one that many adults prefer. This vibrant delight has exquisite swirls of rich, creamy Black Cherry, Blue Moon, and traditional Vanilla ice cream. Hudsonville Ice Cream is a well-known brand that is offered in four states. The creamery began in Hudsonville in 1926 with six flavors and has since expanded to include over fifty distinct sorts and tastes.
County Dairy Ice Cream calls their version Simply Supercow. It’s a combination of Blue Moo, Wild Cherry, and Lemon Ice Cream.
The House of Flavors in Ludington has its version of Superman with Blue moon, cherry, and lemon ice creams.
Country Fresh began in Michigan in 1946. It started as a dairy cooperative of Grand Rapids area retailers and has since grown to become a well-known dairy brand throughout Central Michigan. During the summer, they produce their version of Superman ice cream.
Stroh’s Superman ice cream can still be found at Krogers and the Grindstone General Store during the summer. The ice cream shop located near Port Austin offers some of the biggest ice cream cones in Michigan.
Ohioans look to United Dairy Farmers hand-dipped flavor called Super Moo. This is a blend of yellow vanilla, red cherry, and blue sweet vanilla ice cream.
In Wisconsin, Cedar Crest Ice Cream has been making over 80 flavors of small-batch, premium quality ice cream from Wisconsin. Super Madness has swirls of blue raspberry, cherry, and vanilla.
Does DC Comics License the Superman Name To This Ice Cream?
We discovered that DC Comics has no connection to Superman Ice Cream. They do, however, share the red, blue, and yellow hues of Superman’s costume. This makes sense, given that this ice cream is a superhero much like the man of steel himself.
However, in 2018, the Superman Homepage website noted that Edy’s and Dreyer’s ice creams debuted a variety of new SuperHero ice cream flavors, including Superman Krypton Cookie Dough, Batman Dark Knight Brownie Bite, and Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Twirl. Superman Krypton Cookie Dough ice cream is made with cookie dough, light ice cream, red and gold cookie dough bites, and blue sprinkles. In addition, there were collectible comic books associated with the new ice cream flavors. However, four years later, we are unsure if these are still being made.
How Many Calories Does Superman Ice Cream Have?
Despite being extremely sweet, this iconic flavor compares to other flavors since there is no added cookie dough, fudge chunks, or nuts. A single serving of ⅔ of a cup of Superman ice cream is 160 calories. Compare that to the typical French Vanilla at 180 calories or the Rocky Road ice cream at 190 calories per serving. So it is kind of a guilt-free treat.
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