Tipping Cow co-owner Gerly Adrien.

By NaBeela Washington

Despite restaurants and businesses limiting their operations to meet Commonwealth and additional Somerville COVID guidelines, Somerville remains a community that is enriched by local businesses refusing to give up. We recently spoke with one of those businesses, Tipping Cow, an ice cream shop that was founded in 2013.

Tipping Cow would later be taken over by Gerly Adrien and David Lindsey in 2018. The shop boasts a peanut, tree-nut, and sesame-free establishment. “We have relatives with allergies and will remain nut-free forever,” shared Lindsey. “We kept the name and set out to grow the brand and create all new flavors.” And their most popular flavor? “Our number one selling flavor is Triple Chocolate. It is by far one of the most chocolatey flavors in the region.”

When thinking about what it takes to make ice-cream, one might remember the true simplicity of ice cream in the popular “ice cream in a bag” science experiment in which you mainly needed milk, sugar, salt, and a Ziploc bag. But what makes Tipping Cow’s ice cream unique is that they “make homemade small-batch custard base ice cream by combining gourmet experience with the wisdom of Elders who cooked with love.”

Tipping Cow has been delighting Somerville’s ice cream lovers since 2013.

And this wisdom also lends itself to the creation of flavors. “Some of our flavors are birthed from pure inspiration, some from reverse engineering, and some come from obsessing over seasonal ingredients that help us push our creativity. I have always loved being able to go into a kitchen or lab to create new things even as a child. I am always thinking of what we can make next that is not typically ice cream,” shared Lindsey.

When asked about the pandemic’s impact on Tipping Cow Ice Lindsey said, “It is actually a blessing from the standpoint of being able to stay open and provide pieces of love and happiness. We are truly thankful to be here and serve.”

While Tipping Cow continues to shower the community in love through ice cream, they also remain conscious of the importance of sustaining Black entrepreneurship in Somerville. “We will continue to stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. We will continue to be intentional about honoring their wisdom and love by paying tribute through our creativity and service. Tipping Cow will always strive to encourage and uplift Black Entrepreneurs by supporting their businesses and sharing best practices with those in the developing phase and well established.”

Keep up with Tipping Cow on social media at: https://www.instagram.com/tippingcowicecream/