gastronomy – Oui, Oui, Je Speak Franglais

photo via oojsf

Oui, oui, summer might be officially over but you really don’t have to give up eating ‘la glace.’ I have always wondered why, ‘la glace,’ French for ice-cream is feminine. Could it be that more women enjoy this decadent creamy creation? That may just be true as I would like to introduce you to the latest feature profile of our Franglais Stories, Melissa Tavss of Tipsy Scoop. Oui, Oui, you heard that right! Ice -cream that gets you tipsy! Disclaimer: You just might get tipsy reading her story 🙂

OOJSF:What’s your educational background?

MT: University of Richmond, BA — NYU, Graduate degree

OOJSF:What’s your cultural background?

MT: My family came from Italy to Scotland back in the 1800s with gelato carts. My great grandfather was actually president of the ice cream alliance in Great Britain.

OOJSF: Where did you grow up?

MT: NYC

OOJSF: Where do you call home?

MT: NYC

OOJSF: How did the idea of Tipsy Scoop come about ?

MT: I was always perfecting my homemade ice cream recipe. Originally, I added a little alcohol to soften ice cream to make it less icy- -from there, I thought it would be so awesome if the ice cream could actually hold an alcohol content, so I worked on developing the recipes from there.

photo via oojsf [pictured above, Melissa Tavss]

OOJSF:Has anyone gotten tipsy over your scoops?

MT: I think you would have to eat a lot of ice cream to actually get Tipsy!

OOJSF: What is a typical day like for you?

MT: I open the ice cream shop/Barlour in the morning, then work with my team on catering, events, and wholesale and then end the day either working at an event, or back at the shop.

OOJSF: What did you do before launching Tipsy Scoop?

MT: I did marketing for various liquor brands.

OOJSF: What’s the future of Tipsy Scoop?

MT: You will see! Big things coming soon:)

OOJSF: Do you have any French inspired flavors?

MT: For Bastille day last year, we did a Creme Brûlée flavor that was delicious- it was spiked with Grand Marnier.

OOJSF: How do you come up with the names of the flavors?

MT: We make the cocktail version first and then translate that into an ice cream.

OOJSF: What is your favorite flavor?

MT: I love the Cake Batter vodka martini made with cake flavored vodka, amaretto and white chocolate liqueur.

OOJSF: What dessert food pairs well with your scoops?

MT: I think the vanilla bean bourbon ice cream goes perfectly with a piece of apple pie.

OOJSF: What is life like as an entrepreneur?

MT: Busy and non-stop. You have to wear many different hats and be prepared to work 24/7. But when you do what you love it makes it a lot easier.

OOJSF: As an entrepreneur, how do you stay motivated?

MT: Surrounding yourself with a team of like-minded passionate and talented individuals.

OOJSF: What advise would you give someone who wants to be an entrepreneur?

MT: I would start slow in developing your idea and business. Take time to think about where you want the business to go and how you want to do it.

OOJSF: What would you recommend for someone to do or see in New York?

MT: Come to the Tipsy Scoop Barlour of course!

OOJSF: What should we expect from your Tipsy Scoop Barlour?

MT: We will be doing limited edition seasonal flavors each month!

Want to know how to get tipsy, visit TIPSY SCOOP to get some holiday scoops:

Candy Cane Vodka Martini
Ice cream infused with candy cane-flavored vodka, bejeweled with bits of peppermint candy

Santa’s Cookies & Whiskey
Whiskey-infused ice cream blended with cookie crumbles – consider it a more “grown-up” take on the tradition of leaving out cookies and milk