Some Milwaukee things come and go while some become icons. Mandatory Milwaukee is all about the latter. This week: Going to get frozen custard even though it’s winter.
Adulthood is fraught with taxes, bills, meetings, constant correspondence, and countless other unavoidable responsibilities, but it’s important to remember the small freedoms that also come with being a grownup. As you must continually work a job to feed the economic machine and try to uphold your end of the social contract, there are still plenty of times when you can say “screw it” and do something that would absolutely amaze the childhood version of yourself.
Last we checked, so-called “societal norms” aren’t “societal musts” (yet), so if you want to buck trends and partake in a somewhat uncommon behavior that isn’t hurting anybody else, we suggest you do it. At least do these types of things on occasion, so as to break the monotony and rigidity of life and to remind yourself that being an adult actually has its benefits. Go to a movie in the middle of the day. Eat pizza for breakfast. Go out with friends on a random Tuesday night. Wear slippers to the grocery store. Stay up until 4 a.m. You get the idea.
That same (admittedly constrained) cavalier attitude can—no, should—be applied to behaviors and activities tied to specific seasons and weather patterns. Don’t let the calendar tell you what style of beer you should drink, what temperature coffee you should order, and when it’s acceptable to apply “pumpkin” flavoring to things you consume. Though it’s much harder to find, nog probably still tastes good in summer and the turkey/stuffing combo would surely be delicious outside the month of November. Time and seasons are both human constructs, and humans are incredibly flawed beings. You have enough limitations in life, so don’t let Mother Nature dictate when you’re “allowed” to experience any of life’s small, fleeting pleasures.
Basically, what we’ve been getting at this whole time is…you’re absolutely allowed to eat frozen custard even though it’s currently winter. In fact, we encourage it. If you live in the Milwaukee area (or in many places around Wisconsin, for that matter), you have ample access to this egg- and cream-laden indulgence. Frozen custard was invented here, after all! And given the sheer abundance of this decadent Dairy State delicacy that’s in our midst, we’re fortunate that so many of these purveyors decide to remain open all year long to address any out-of-season custard cravings.
Despite it being January in Wisconsin, we were recently struck with such a hankering. And since we live in the Cream City—not the root of the name, but it’s applicable here—we were minutes away from one of many iconic joints that could feed our frozen custard fix. We went to Kopp’s and, since Hugh Jackman wasn’t there, we had no trouble being served right away.
As other customers—no doubt slaves to the seasons and their unshakable circadian rhythm—waited in a cluster for their hot food to be handed to them, we received our cookies and cream custard within seconds of ordering. In a simultaneous act both embracing and openly defying winter, we took it outside to enjoy. Though Kopp’s roped off its patio (perhaps a means of avoiding liability from slips on icy concrete?), we took a spot on an open bench beside the establishment and whittled away at the double scoop waffle cone while seated there. As a select few others exited the building clutching cones to eat in their car, we couldn’t help but exchange knowing nods in their direction: they get it.
Yesterday, as the rest of the world worked and continued coming to terms with the Packersless remnant of winter ahead of us, we repeated the feat with an impromptu trip to Leon’s. (Okay, maybe we wanted some extra pics for this article too, but that was only part of it!) The usually bustling Southside haunt had no line to speak of at noon, meaning a double scoop of blue moon custard was in our gloved hand approximately 45 seconds after ordering it.
Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t make frozen custard any less delicious. And just because you’re an adult with never-ending responsibilities doesn’t mean you can’t break away from seasonal patterns and societal norms to bring a little goodness into your life. Yeah, winter in Wisconsin can be brutal. But there’s still good in the world and frozen custard within our grasp. You should allow yourself to find it from time to time.
