You gotta try POPSICLES

Lakeshore-made popsicles in flavors that will floor you!

by Ann Smith

To feel like a kid again, indulge in a popsicle. The first time an ice cream truck rolls down my block each spring, grown men rush out with money in their hands. You go, guys!

As summer heats up, enjoy some made here on the lakeshore.  

In Holland, La Michoacana Ice Cream & Munchiez (above) rotates through 50 shop-made varieties, some creamy and others icy (and sometimes spicy). In Muskegon, Ice Box Brand produces an imaginative assortment and sells dozens in the summer at a factory store at their plant near Michigan’s Adventure. (It will open in mid-May for limited weekday hours, which will increase as summer comes — check their website.) 

You can buy Isaias Perez’s paletas every day across the counter at La Michoacana on Holland’s north side (and a raft of other treats as well) or on Saturdays at the Holland Farmers Market. Kiwi with a mosaic of fresh strawberry slices is as delicious as it sounds. A seasoned pineapple paleta has earthy flavors without heat. Perez extracts and adds fruit juice to intensify  flavors. “We’re all about the fruit, fruit, fruit,” Perez said. In summer, at least 30 kinds are in the cooler daily: Oreo, watermelon (in season), lime with chile. Experiment and have some fun!  

Chris Morin started with an ice cream truck in 2012 and brick-and-mortared it into Ice Box Brand soon after. You need to open wide for his bars, like the Green Dragon, which has a chocolate cookie base, mint ice cream with a crunchy crumbled Butterfinger, Oreo and chocolate coating. Key Lime Pie’s graham cracker base is piled with lime ice cream, then dipped in white chocolate for the most refreshing ice cream popsicle I’ve ever had. There’s one made with pretzels and stout. “Smitten Mitten” ice pops include blueberry basil. Some lakeshore stores sell eight kinds, but if you’re near Muskegon, why not go to the source? 

La Michoacana
Homemade Ice Cream & Munchiez
130 E. Lakewood Blvd., Holland
facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063445854266

Ice Box Brand
4207 Whitehall Rd., Muskegon
iceboxbrand.com