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WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
IceCycle Creamery raises the bar.
WRITTEN BY BARBARA TWITCHELL
PHOTOS BY CHRIS HOLLOMAN
Variety is the spice of life, as the saying goes. Jeremy DeMarzo would heartily agree — and then kick it up a notch. He’s a man who likes to color outside the lines.
For years, DeMarzo played around with ice-cream flavors, mixing up unusual combinations that turned out to be real palate pleasers. Friends and family members often encouraged him to turn his hobby into a business. A year ago, DeMarzo decided to do just that.
Last summer (on Friday the 13th, no less), he launched IceCycle Creamery, an ice-cream business specializing in extraordinary flavors with adult taste buds in mind. And he did it all from a tricycle, configured to accommodate his frozen concoctions.
Peddling flavors such as Maple Bacon, Salted Chocolate Lavender, Coconut Mojito, and Nutella Hazelnut, DeMarzo garnered a lot of attention as a regular at the Reno Street Food events, as well as at special events and private parties. He quickly developed a loyal following. But being on a tricycle, he realized, made it difficult for customers to actually find him when they were craving his mind-blowing concoctions.
Finding a home
In early March, on yet another Friday the 13th, DeMarzo had the grand opening of his brick-and-mortar store, IceCycle Creamery & Pedalers Deli, adjacent to Bartley Ranch in Southwest Reno. But fear not, he promises that the familiar IceCycle (pronounced “icicle”) tricycle will still be out and about in Reno, bringing its wild and crazy flavors to those on the go.
DeMarzo also vows that he will continue to deliver a quality ice cream that he creates from fresh, minimal, natural ingredients, with less sugar than other ice creams and no eggs. He prides himself on using as many locally sourced ingredients as possible, including milk from Sand Hill Dairy in Fallon and local produce. Even his Cookie Roulette ice cream is made with assorted cookies from Reno’s Homage Bakery.
Flavor savers
DeMarzo has created 65 flavors and counting. Customer favorites, he says, include Tidy Camper, which has a s’mores vibe with burnt marshmallow, chocolate, and graham crackers, as well as seasonal specialty Sweet Potato Casserole, made with sweet potatoes, mini-marshmallows, and candied pecans.
According to DeMarzo, the response to the latter “… is insane. People just freak out about it!”
Who wouldn’t be curious? When you mosey up to IceCycle’s counter or tricycle, you never know what you’ll find. Seriously.
“I go pretty far out there sometimes,” DeMarzo says with a laugh. “My wife has to reel me back in.”
Reno writer Barbara Twitchell says if you’re going to indulge in those extra dessert calories, you might as well pick something that makes your taste buds stand up and yell “Wow — that was worth it!”
IceCycle Creamery & Pedalers Deli
6147 Lakeside Drive, Ste. 102, Reno
775-827-2777, http://www.Icecyclecreamery.com
