Celestial Secret

The cosmic blue standout that eclipses all others in the cold case of scoop shops across Michiana, Blue Moon ice cream is a Midwestern staple with a mysterious flavor profile.

Blue Moon’s flavor is familiar yet elusive. Some sense notes of vanilla, citrus or almond. Some say it tastes like Fruit Loops, while others insist it’s more akin to the milk at the bottom of a bowl of Fruit Loops. Other popular guesses include cotton candy, amaretto, marshmallow, bubblegum and cake frosting. For those attempting to recreate the zany flavor at home, the Internet seems to agree that a Food.com recipe comes the closest, with a blend of raspberry, lemon and vanilla pudding mix.

From what Willy Wonka-esque laboratory did Blue Moon emerge? Although many believe Sherman’s Ice Cream in South Haven, Michigan, invented the flavor, the current owner declines the honor, confessing he gets his Blue Moon flavoring from a company in New Jersey. The prevailing theory suggests that Blue Moon was the brainchild of Bill Sidon, the chief flavor chemist at Milwaukee flavor company Petran Products in the 1950s. Petran was bought by Weber Flavors in the 1980s and the company still owns the patent to the secret formula of the original Blue Moon recipe.

Since its invention, Blue Moon has been reproduced by many purveyors, each keeping its recipe a closely held secret. This regional flavor remains exclusive to the upper Midwest, typically only found in Wisconsin, Michigan, and the northern areas of Indiana and Illinois. Look for Blue Moon at these Michiana ice cream shops this summer.
The Beach Bucket – Sawyer, MI 

Caruso's Candy and Soda Shop – Dowagiac, MI

Mooney's Blue Moon, Three Oaks, MI 
Oink’s Dutch Treat – New Buffalo, MI 

Bubbles Ice Cream Parlor – Michigan City, IN

The Chief – Granger and Goshen, IN

Valpo Velvet – Valparaiso, IN 
Vanilla Bean Creamery – Granger and Elkhart, IN 

Kendall Dick is a freelance writer based out of St. Joseph, MI, whose love of food puns knows no bounds. You can read more of her work at kendalldick.com.