What Flavor Is Blue Moon Ice Cream?

From whether or not beans belong in chili to the polarizing topic of pineapple on pizza, there's no shortage of debates about food in the United States. Thanks to its relative obscurity across much of the country, Blue Moon ice cream hasn't been at the forefront of those conversations, but those who live in, or have traveled through, the upper Midwest where the flavor is exceptionally popular, harbor widely varying opinions about the sweet treat's flavor profile.

Blue Moon's name gives a hint at what it looks like — the bright blue ice cream easily stands out among other options in a case. But the name reveals no clues about how it tastes, and asking anyone to describe it may not yield the clearest results — answers can range from any number of combinations of almond, black cherry, pineapple, and raspberry. Meanwhile, others note flavors of marshmallow, cotton candy, and Froot Loops, and some say they detect nutmeg or cardamom. In multiple online recipes that attempt to duplicate the ice cream, the only flavors that seem to be agreed on are citrus and vanilla (which several recipes introduce in the form of vanilla pudding).

The origin story of Blue Moon is a little murky, but many point to flavor chemist Bill Sidon as the creator of the flavor in the late 1950's at Petran, based in Milwaukee, though there are some indications in publications ranging from West Virginia to Massachusetts that the flavor may have existed earlier than that. Regardless, Petran was the first to trademark the flavor and the recipe still remains guarded. However, various makers have produced their own versions of Blue Moon flavoring since then.

Many ice cream makers purchase the Blue Moon flavoring to mix into their own ice cream. Since there is no widely known standard recipe for blue moon, the flavors can vary slightly based on the producer. Paired with that is the fact that each ice cream maker has its own base ice cream recipe, which also explains the nuances in flavors across brands.

Just like fans of Blue Moon have differing opinions on the flavor profile, the brands themselves have varying descriptions of their ice cream. Popular Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream describes their version as "just like the milk in the bottom of a Fruit Loops bowl." Meanwhile, Clementine's Naughty & Nice Ice Cream boasts that its Blue Moon ice cream features raspberry, lemon, and almond extract. And Hudsonville doesn't commit at all to a flavor profile, referring to the ice cream as a "sweet, fruity, mystery."

You'll likely have the best chance of finding Blue Moon ice cream in Wisconsin and Michigan, but Indiana and Illinois have pockets in which the flavor is popular, too. And if you're looking for a twist, you can also keep an eye out for Superman Ice Cream, which is a trio of flavors that includes lemon, Blue Moon, and Red Pop (a strawberry soda-flavored ice cream).

Outside of those areas, it's not impossible to find the flavor, but you may have to look a little harder. Kilwins, a national purveyor of candy and ice cream, sells Blue Moon ice cream and is prevalent in the eastern half of the United States. Hershey's Ice Cream also makes Blue Moon as well as Superman, so it may be possible to find it in a grocery store or retail location where Hershey's is sold. Hudsonville's ice cream is also available in supermarkets throughout the United States.

Finally, there are multiple ways to purchase the ice cream online. Chocolate Shoppe ships its ice cream, and Ice Cream Source sells pints of the Chocolate Shoppe's Blue Moon, too. Meanwhile, Clementine's Naughty and Nice Ice Cream will ship through Gold Belly. And if you're looking for a large quantity, you can get three gallons of Blue Moon shipped from Perry's Ice Cream.