The scoop on Lionshead’s Häagen-Dazs

Did you know that the “super premium” ice cream category was created because of Häagen-Dazs? There’s a lot of science behind the cold, tasty summer treats that started in the Bronx in 1960, but Häagen-Dazs was making the richest ice cream on the market and the industry didn’t know what to call it — thus “super premium” came about.

Now, 60 years later, Häagen-Dazs is still going strong and in Lionshead Village, Ric Almas has been putting his own spin on the traditional ice cream parlor for over 40 years, while still providing the classic ice cream parlor experience most people enjoy.

But for Almas, Häagen-Dazs is so much more than just ice cream. His establishments are more like European “dessert cafes,” featuring fresh baked goods, coffee drinks like the popular affogato, teas and much more on top of — quite literally — the ice cream.

The affogato is the third-best-selling item in Lionshead, behind double-sized cups and milkshakes. It’s a European-style drink/treat that can be combined with any flavor of ice cream. Double espresso or hot chocolate goes into a cup with your preferred ice cream wedged inside the cup so you can taste the ice cream alone and then mix it into the hot liquid, sweetening the drink even more. Ice cream plus espresso equals the best of both worlds.

It’s no wonder Almas and his team are whipping up about 30 of them per day — so many that he had to upgrade to a bigger espresso machine to keep up. Breakfast smoothies made with real fruit, chai lattes and lemonade drinks are also on the menu.

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Cookies & Cream is the No. 1 flavor in the country, and you can expect that at the Häagen-Dazs in Lionshead Village. But one new flavor this summer is the New York Strawberry Cheesecake. And the Pistachio flavor is coming out with an updated formula. Liquor flavors like the Irish Cream Brownie also do well in the summer. The Dolce de Leche — once the No. 1 flavor in the country — is also a popular one, with its sweetness accompanied by a caramel swirl in it.

If you’re heading to the Lionshead Gondola this summer, you will most likely walk right by Häagen-Dazs — you can’t miss the smells coming from the small but mighty shop as you round the corner to the gondola. Your dog might even stop for a sip from their water bowl outside.

And you can know that when you walk into that Häagen-Dazs, it’s not like any of the others you might find in the world, and that’s because of Almas and his creative and innovative approach to what the iconic summer ice cream shop should look like.

“Häagen-Dazs set the standard for what real rich ice cream is,” said Almas. “Everybody knows the name Häagen-Dazs and that you get quality.”

For Almas, he’s down to managing just two Häagen-Dazs shops now — the other being in Miami. But he takes great pride in his Vail location. “Thirty-three years in Vail, and I still love it,” he said.