Nisreen Galloway (left) and Elizabeth Nash founded Crème De Liqueur, a craft ice cream company that … [+]
Nisreen Galloway and Elizabeth Nash were majoring in writing and literature at Emerson College in Boston, but the two met and became friends in an entrepreneurship class.
Galloway grew up in Boston, and Nash grew up in Milwaukee, but the two shared a common heritage of pairing ice cream and spirits.
“We’re both foodies,” says Galloway. “My father poured a shot of brandy over sundaes.”
“My family and friends would throw these very elegant dinner parties and serve a sorbet with a shot of vodka, and I remembered that for years,” adds Nash.
The two liked ice cream and the combination of ice cream with liqueurs, resulting in the liqueur-infused Crème De Liqueur frozen custard.
The two began working on their company in 2019 and introduced their spirited ice creams in Boston and Milwaukee in July 2021. What is unusual about this artisan company is that it is based in Boston, where Galloway lives, and Milwaukee, where Nash is based.
Using local cream, local spirits and other local ingredients is a cornerstone of their business. It’s the same recipe but they make it with different local ingredients in each city.
“We work with local distilleries and local partners in each state,” says Nash. “And it’s not just distilleries, as we look to local bakeries to mix things like brownies and cheesecake.”
Their four main year-round flavors are Pistachio Amaretto, Vanilla Bean Horchata, Chocolate Brownie Bourbon, and Lemon Cream Vodka. “A chocolate brownie bourbon will have a slightly different profile in Milwaukee than it does in Boston because we shop locally,” says Galloway.
In addition to their four main flavors, they try different flavors seasonally, and sometimes they try new flavors in just one city.
Her latest release this fall in Massachusetts is Twisted Apple Pie, a collaboration with two other women-owned companies, Petsi Pies and Boston Harbor Distillery. The ice cream is made with Boston Harbor Distillery’s Demon Seed Whiskey and Petsie Pie’s crunchy apple pie.
“Together we created an autumn flavor that celebrates local and brings together three women-owned businesses in one pint,” says Galloway.
Other fall flavors include a whiskey s’mores ice cream and a vanilla bean cognac. “We test flavors about every month and change our selections based on the season,” says Nash.
In addition to Boston Harbor Distillery, they also work with Bully Boy Distillers and Short Path Distillers in Massachusetts, and in Wisconsin they work with Central Standard Craft Distillery, Twisted Path Distillery, and Wollersheim Winery & Distillery.
The two started selling cups and pints of their frozen delights at farmers markets in both cities and they’ve expanded into pop-ups and events, and now they can be found in local grocery stores as well as restaurants, bars and distilleries.
“One of our favorite things (in both Boston and Milwaukee) is that they’re pretty much year-round ice cream shops,” says Galloway.
“People don’t mind the cold too much,” says Nash. “Last year we sold our ice cream at a number of winter markets, including the Milwaukee Christkindlmarket. In fact, we were approached by the Mayor of Oak Creek, Wisconsin to come and sell at their farmer’s market because he was trying the Christkindlemarket.”
The ice cream sells for $5 to $7 a portion and $13 to $16 a pint, and each ice cream has just 2 percent ABV. As their ice cream has gained a following, fans have asked if they will open outposts in Chicago and New York, as well as New Hampshire.
“As we grow, some things may need to change, but our goal is to maintain locality as a cornerstone of our business, with flavors unique to local areas,” says Galloway.
