Good morning everyone.
We’re entering the summer here in Arizona, also known as the ninth circle of Dante’s Inferno. When I first moved to Phoenix, I made it a personal goal not to complain about the heat. My mom taught us not to grumble about the weather, since God is its orchestrator.
Phoenix must be His way of refining us by fire. I suppose that makes it less Inferno and more Purgatorio—which, all things considered, is good news.
Anyway, there are plenty of ways to beat the heat. Like fleeing to the PNW, which I’ll be doing soon enough. But for my peasant friends stuck in PHX this summer, I’m excited to share my new favorite ice cream: Ice Cream For Bears
What I love about Ice Cream for Bears is that it’s not sweetened with sugar or corn syrup like every mainstream brand, and it’s not loaded with fake plant milks, gums, and janky fake sweeteners like so many alleged “healthy” ice creams.
The ice cream is sweetened with raw honey.
An ice cream made with just honey? Long overdue. I’m stoked Ice Cream for Bears finally tapped into this wildly underserved market—namely, you, the Buttercups.
Honey is not “just sugar”
One nutritional lie I’d like to take a machete to is the idea that honey and refined sugar are basically the same. If I had to guess, I’d say 97% of nutritionists and doctors wouldn’t bother to distinguish between the two—claiming that since honey is high in carbs, it’s “essentially just sugar.”
That’s not just misinformed. It sounds like the take of someone who probably should’ve failed biochemistry—and did fail ancient history.
Where refined sugar spikes blood glucose and drives insulin resistance, honey has been shown to regulate blood sugar levels.
Where refined sugar can fuel cancer growth, honey has demonstrated anti-tumor effects in multiple studies.
Where refined sugar inflames the body, honey is an anti-inflammatory powerhouse packed with antioxidants, polyphenols, and immune-supportive compounds.
Honey has been cherished across cultures and civilizations since the dawn of time—long before America existed, let alone got fat.
King Solomon—aka the wisest man to ever live—validates honey’s greatness: “My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste” (Proverbs 24:13). Not King Solomon being the OG Buttercup.
The winning base ingredients for each flavor of Ice Cream for Bears are blissfully simple:
Grass-fed milk and cream
Egg yolks
Raw honey
I had a tasting session last night at Kevin’s house with him, his wife Jordan, their 5-year-old Benaiah, and Mr. Munson Sr. Below is our group review. Call us ice cream sommeliers, if you must.
Chocturnal: 7/10
I wanted a rich, dark chocolate moment—like an 80% or 90% vibe. Instead, it was giving maybe 30%? Kevin and Mr. Munson loved it. Jordan said it was “fine.” Benaiah gave it a 10,000/10, which was extremely annoying since he clearly ignored the judging criteria we discussed.
Mint To Bee: 9.5/10
Everyone loved it. Mint chocolate chip is objectively—in my opinion—the best ice cream flavor. I also love that Ice Cream for Bears uses date-sweetened chocolate chips. Chef’s kiss. Jordan’s only critique? Mint chip is hard to mess up, so she wasn't particularly moved. Hence the almost-perfect score.
Butterbear: 7/10
This was everyone’s favorite—except mine. Since I run this page, my score carries more weight than the others. I’m just not a butterscotch guy (the flavor, not our precious cow, Butterscotch). This ice cream didn’t change my infallible opinion.
Bearista: 6.5/10
Mr. Munson liked this coffee moment. As you probably know, I love coffee. Like, it ranks just below God and oxygen. But this one didn’t deliver. I wanted a double espresso affogato moment, and instead got something more like coffee essence. Disappointing.
Honey Honey: 8/10
I found it boring. The others did not. Jordan liked it, Mr. Munson nodded approvingly, and Benaiah—you guessed it—gave it another 10,000/10. 🙄
My favorite part is, "Phoenix must be His way of refining us by fire. I suppose that makes it less Inferno and more Purgatorio—which, all things considered, is good news." Had a good laugh! Mint chocolate chip ice cream is by far my favorite ice cream flavor, others say it tastes like toothpaste I believe that their taste buds may be slightly damaged :)
No one cares what sommeliers think, but the world is passionate ab the top ice cream flavors.