Graeter’s Just Released 3 New Holiday Ice Cream Flavors, Here’s Our Review

Just in time for the holidays, Graeter’s has a brand-new look and three brand-new seasonal flavors. Cincinnati’s favorite ice creamery was kind enough to send over their Holiday Pack featuring all three new flavors (plus their returning Peppermint Stick and their all-time classic Black Raspberry Chip). Will this ice cream make our hearts grow three sizes? Is that a positive or a negative, from a biological standpoint? Let’s crack open this styrofoam mailer and find out.

Eggnog!

Graeter’s Spirited Eggnog Ice Cream

Graeter’s

Pros: Holy cow, this is authentic—I had to check whether there was an alcohol content I should worry about. This truly tastes like a strong cup of eggnog poured straight into a Ninja Creami. As the biggest eggnog fan in my house by a country mile, I’m looking forward to killing this entire pint on my own.

Cons: I actually love the non-alcoholic eggnog more than the boozy stuff, so this alcohol-flavored ice cream isn’t exactly what I was hoping for. That said, I know I’m in the minority there; this will undoubtedly keep the spirits high.

Credit: Liv Averett / Graeter’s

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Crème Brûlée!

Graeter’s Crème Brûlée Ice Cream

Graeter’s

Pros: This is rich—not just in flavor, but in vibes. It feels like a subtle, grown-up ice cream with little caramelized sugar bits to give you that unavoidable crème brûlée stickiness between your teeth. Of all three flavors I tried today, this would be the easiest to finish in one sitting without realizing it.

Cons: Crème brûlée is just custard and burnt sugar, and ice cream is basically custard. That means this is just…burnt sugar-flavored ice cream. It’s great ice cream, but it isn’t the strongest or most complex flavor in the world.

Credit: Liv Averett / Graeter’s

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Hot Cocoa!

Graeter’s Cozy Hot Cocoa Ice Cream

Graeter’s

Pros: This isn’t the best ice cream we’ve ever had, but it’s pretty close. Graeter’s deserves a Nobel Prize in Ice Cream Science for figuring out how to put marshmallows into ice cream without them turning into rocks. Seriously, they’re super gooey. The chocolate ice cream is rich and truly reminiscent of hot cocoa—despite being cold. I tried this and a hot cocoa-flavored whiskey on the same day; this one stuck the landing far better.

Cons: Why do these Ohio-based ice cream shops keep releasing elevated chocolate ice creams that ruin regular chocolate ice cream for me?

Credit: Liv Averett / Graeter’s

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks