If you’re from the North Country, you probably love Stewart’s ice cream. If you’re not from the North Country, you probably wonder what all the fuss is about.

So here at SUNY Plattsburgh, we put our rigorous academic minds to the question by recently conducting a blind taste test of Stewart’s against seven rival brands: Häagen-Dazs, Friendly’s, Breyers, Pics (PriceChopper), Hood, Ben and Jerry’s, and Turkey Hill.

This wasn’t our first time putting Stewart’s to the test. Last semester, Stewart’s was the clear winner. This time — with 11 people participating in the test — we truly found the results shocking. Maybe Stewart’s isn’t as perfect as we in the North Country have been led to believe.  

Defending the Stew

As a North Country local, and the reigning champ of guessing vanilla ice cream, I figured I had Stewart’s pinned down. But it appears my taste buds betrayed me.

Stewart’s ice cream scored the lowest in our taste test. I have never been more shaken in my life.

A room full of Häagen-Dazs supporters surrounded me. I thought they knew nothing. Instead, I learned that I might actually like Häagen-Dazs more than Stewart’s.

As much of a shock as it was to me, I expected this to happen. Our first taste test ended with Häagen-Dazs at the bottom because it was freezer-burnt, so this win was payback for the ‘Dazs. 

That said, I still think that Stewart’s is better than any brand. Its versatility of flavors and cheap pricing is something that can’t be beat. The fact that it’s a local business also speaks volumes. It competes against huge companies that are distributed nationwide, but it still has the North Country’s unwavering love. Support local!

–Adam Blanchard

A Scoop of Suspicion

I’d like to believe that Stewart’s wasn’t entirely at fault for how poorly it scored. Our APN course advisor is an “out-of-stater” with a vendetta against Stewarts, so I still hold the belief he may have tampered with our results.

On a more personal note, I would like to share my disappointment that Häagen-Dazs was one of my highest rankings. That ice cream would be pretentious if it could talk, and I will not elaborate further. 

We had to base our ratings off of things other than taste, like texture, amount of freezer burn, color, and so on. But in the end, it all just tasted like vanilla, which makes me skeptical of the accuracy in results. 

As much as I complained above, this was a whimsical experience. Not many people can say they get ice cream during meetings, and even get the chance to take the tub home. 

 I also discovered a new love for Turkey Hill ice cream, a brand that had not yet graced my taste buds

Moral of the story: I hope when you get ice cream, especially at Stewarts, you aren’t ordering philly vanilla. Try Fireworks (trust) or get good old Cookies N Cream.  Add some pizzazz and try Pistachio (I don’t care what anyone says, it is peak). Just don’t be boring.

-Yasmine Alregabi 

Loyalty Tested

I’ve probably gone to Stewart’s more times than every single person reading this article combined. If you were to tell me that after blind taste-testing and ranking eight different kinds of store-bought ice cream, Stewart’s would be far and away my least favorite of the bunch, I’d probably assume that you smoke crack on the regular. How could it be? I’ve bragged about how good my local gas station’s ice cream is for the better part of two decades, and after an unbiased test, my whole world has been flipped upside down. However, the ice cream served to my peers and me for this particular blind ranking was not an entirely accurate representation of the best Stewart’s has to offer. 

First of all, no one I’ve ever met has walked out of Stewart’s with Philly Vanilla. Who would do such a horrible thing? Every real Stewart’s goer knows that the regular vanilla is the cream to get. Once you add Philly into the conversation, everything gets messed up. But the more important question is, Who goes to Stewart’s to get vanilla? That’s only acceptable if you’re making a sundae. There are much better options on the menu: an extensive selection of exotic flavors that will bless your taste buds. Flavors like Campfire S’mores, Crumbs Along the Mohawk, and my personal favorite, Blueberry Pie in the Sky. 

So, while yes, I may have said that Stewart’s Philly Vanilla ice cream was by far and away the worst out of the eight brands we tried, I will never stop riding with all the beacon of the north — Stewart’s Shops. I guess Häagen-Dazs is pretty good too.

-Justin Rushia 

Vanilla Fatigue

If our painstaking efforts to rank eight brands of ice cream taught me anything, it’s that all vanilla tastes the same. 

Sure I was able to decipher some differences between them, but they all just tasted like one thing: vanilla. Our group was befuddled to learn that Stewart’s ice cream placed dead last, but we also had a common thought: Who gets vanilla from Stewart’s? If you’re not at least getting Cookies N Cream, that’s a you problem. 

Turkey Hill won our test by a landslide, which does make sense to me. I think it’s an all around ice cream sleeper. Their texture really stole the show, but in all honesty, I don’t think it was that different from Stewart’s.

–Emma Deo

A Flawed Taste Test

I would not like to be held responsible for any ratings, reviews, critiques or criticisms that  I made during this event. I stated my disdain for vanilla at the beginning, along with my apprehension toward the premise of this experiment in its entirety. I knew this test would yield nothing but negative results and skewed reviews, yet I was still forced to participate. 

What came of this was a faulty system, intentionally set up to place me in a position where I was forced to give a beloved regional ice cream chain a bad review — one that does not reflect my opinion and feelings toward said chain. The whole thing has caused me a lot of stress. 

–Evan Rando 

Outsider’s Scoop

Coming from Manhattan, I’d never before heard of Pics, Breyer’s, Hood or Stewart’s. I was only familiar with Turkey Hill, Häagen-Dazs, and Ben and Jerry’s.

Despite never before tasting Stewart’s, it was my second favorite ice cream. It wasn’t too sweet, wasn’t too hard, it was the type of richness I enjoy.

That said, I also think the hype around Stewart’s is overrated. Nothing was better than Häagen-Dazs, which had the perfect texture, flavor, and right amount of beans.

Stewart’s may be the regional fan-favorite, but it’s obvious that these locals have just never had a chance to enjoy Turkey Hill and Häagen-Dazs. 

–Khaelle Harris