Smoked mac and cheese ice cream? Salt & Straw's 'Summer Picnic' flavors return

The Portland-based ice cream chain Salt & Straw is bringing back its five-course “Summer Picnic” flavor series on Aug. 2.

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Portland-based ice cream chain Salt & Straw is bringing back its five-course “Summer Picnic” flavor series on Aug. 2.

The new and returning flavors include “pink rosé & watermelon sorbet,” “grilled peach white chocolate custard,” “smoked mac & cheese,” “cinnamon & honey fried chicken” and “sour cherry pie.” 

“Ahh, August. The sweetest time of year for just kicking back and relaxing in your favorite picnic spot,” Salt & Straw announced. “And what did we pack in the basket? A simple, five-course spread of perfectly carefree ice creams.”

Salt & Straw partnered with Portland’s Sokol Blosser Winery, Seattle’s Ezell’s Famous Chicken and San Francisco’s Flour + Water restaurant on the seasonal flavors that “push the boundaries of ice cream,” the company said. The flavors will be sold at all Salt & Straw shops as scoops, pints and milkshakes.

Salt & Straw's "Summer Picnic" Flavors:

Pink Rosé & Watermelon Sorbet (vegan)

First course: Sunny days are calling and this frosé says "cheers". We start with a ripe watermelon and rosé punch that we pour into our ice cream maker and let it coalesce into an out-of-this-world juicy sorbet. Then, we drizzle in house-made raspberry rosé jam for a crisp tartness that carefully balances the sweetness of the wine, which by the way hails from the same family vineyard that helped foment the Oregon wine boom over 50 years ago.

Grilled Peach White Chocolate Custard

Second course: Light the torches! Here come sweet, delicate California peaches, charred and roasted until their skins peel, releasing their complex juices into a jaw-dropping homemade jam. We toast white chocolate until the sugars and cocoa butters begin to slightly caramelize, giving this ice cream an incredibly toasty decadence. When that tart peach jam cuts through its custardy creaminess, the taste is just super-intense. 

Smoked Mac & Cheese

Of course, no picnic is complete without the mac & cheese—ice cream. This must-try scoop stars award winning Beecher's Smoked Flagship Cheese, aged and smoked to perfection over real cherry and apple wood. We drizzle this scrumptious cheesecake swirl into our pasta-infused ice cream, featuring Flour + Water pasta that's made with deep rough ridges to hold all the flavor you can handle. Every bite pops with tiny clusters of savory brown butter breadcrumbs.

Cinnamon & Honey Fried Chicken

Fourth course: Savory, spicy and easy to love, this ice cream makes an unbelievable treat of Ezell's famous chicken (from the same Seattle legend that caters Oprah's birthday). We start with fresh croissants, torn into bits. Deep-fry with chicken fat ‘til crispy perfection. Then churn into salted vanilla ice cream. A touch of cinnamon, splash of honey, and a shake of secret spices gives you sweet Cajun heat with pleasant pops and crackles.

Sour Cherry Pie

Fifth course: Keep it simple and finish strong with a classic scoop of all-American cherry pie, studded with chunks of pie crust in a salted vanilla ice cream. The almond flour crust carries a delicate pop of flavor, and we hand-candy the cherries in our kitchen with a splash of amaretto. That cherry-almond pairing is a classic pastry finish. Call it the perfect ending to a moveable summer feast.

- Menu descriptions provided by Salt & Straw