I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Georgetown Ice Cream Shops!
By • July 25, 2024 0 789
By Sophia Hall
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a sunburned person in the midst of a heatwave, must want some ice cream. With the temperatures regularly climbing to 100 degrees or more, what better way to cool off than with some scoops?
The origin of ice cream likely dates back to ancient Rome, where people harvested ice or snow and then flavored it with honey or other sweeteners. In the United States, ice cream first appeared in 1744, as recorded by Maryland Governor William Bladen. The early presidents also had a liking for the sweet treat–George Washington spent approximately $200 for some ice cream in the sweltering summer of 1790, and Ronald Reagan enjoyed ice cream so much that he declared July to be National Ice Cream Month!
For the ice cream lover within all of us, here’s a list of our favorite ice cream places where you can celebrate not just during National Ice Cream Month, but all year long!
Thomas Sweet
An ice cream cone from Thomas Sweet, with Wisconsin Avenue’s reflection in the background. Photo from instagram.com/thomas.sweet.
“I am an ice cream lover, believe me,” assures owner Mohammed Ali, who has run the establishment for the past 38 years. The shop’s location in Georgetown (3214 P St NW) has been open since 1983, and there are four additional locations in New Jersey.
If you have ever walked by Thomas Sweet, the first thing you notice would be the line trailing out the door and onto Wisconsin Avenue, composed of customers like tourists and students from nearby schools like Georgetown University, American University and Hardy Middle School. These people flock to Thomas Sweet’s mouth-watering 63 flavors of ice cream, all made in-house. Mixing-in Oreos, M&Ms and other candy into the ice cream is a specialty of Thomas Sweet. The shop also offers ice cream cakes for birthdays and other events.
Thomas Sweet’s scoops are so delicious they even attract illustrious clientele. The Clintons were regular customers, with former first daughter Chelsea stopping by every Sunday. Ali remembered that former President Bill Clinton always ordered Mango Sorbet. He also said that he was fortunate enough to meet former President Obama personally, and that first lady Michelle Obama came in two times a month and was very friendly, she even chatted with his daughter-in-law in a tucked-away corner. Other notable visitors were former Vice President Al Gore, President Joe Biden, and former first daughter Ivanka Trump.
In addition to ice cream, Thomas Sweet also sells homemade fudge and chocolate perfect for special occasions like anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, and Christmas Day. President Reagan featured some of the chocolate at White House Dinners.
Though Ali now lives in Falls Church, he still feels connected with the Georgetown community. He values the feedback and support of the community, and he expressed his gratitude to everyone who has supported the business along the way.
Ice Cream Jubilee
Founded in 2014 by Victoria Lai, this ice cream store just recently moved to Georgetown (3333 M St NW) this past March. Lai, an attorney turned ice cream entrepreneur, started making ice cream in her apartment kitchen in 2009, and five years later, Ice Cream Jubilee was born.
The name captures the excitement Lai associates with ice cream. She hopes that Ice Cream Jubilee’s wide array of flavors will make other people jump for joy. By combining sophisticated, international flavors like Banana Bourbon Caramel, Red Bean Almond Cookie, and Blueberry Pie, that reflect the melting pot of D.C., Lai reimagines the childhood joy of ice cream.
In addition to their shops, Ice Cream Jubilee has been selling their ice cream at local grocery stores, catering carts and trucks at events around the D.C. area. The ice cream has won numerous awards is beloved by customers for being the best ice cream in the neighborhood.
Welcome to Georgetown, Ice Cream Jubilee! We are so glad you are here.
Smize and Dream
Current Vice President and 2024 Presidential candidate Kamala Harris visits Smize and Dream with her nieces earlier this month. Photo from instagram.com/smizeanddream.
If you dare to venture a little uphill from Georgetown to Woodley Park, you can sample scoops from supermodel Tyra Banks’s new DC pop-up: Smize & Dream. The fashion icon chose D.C. as the site of her first official location of her ice cream store. Located at 2653 Connecticut Avenue NW, the pop-up will operate until Friday, September 20.
One of the store’s signature treats is called a “Smize Surprise,” which not only refers to the modeling term Banks coined—”smize”—which means smile with your eyes but also a delicious hidden filling of cookie dough, jelly, cake, or cream. The store also pays homage to its location in D.C. with the “Cap Hill Crunch” flavor, which is a Cap’n Crunch cereal-infused ice cream topped with toffee crunch and cereal-soaked pieces of French toast.
Try this one-of-a-kind ice cream experience before it closes!
