If you’re an adult, there’s only one thing better than ice cream — boozy ice cream.
Enter Tipsy Scoop, the boozy 21-and-over ice cream Barlor (bar and ice cream parlor) that marries your favorite ice cream flavors with your favorite cocktails. This New York-based chill zone is now headed to Phoenix when Tipsy Scoop opens on Saturday, December 18 at 355 N. Central Avenue.
Rachel Chitwood, vice president of marketing for Tipsy Scoop shares the story behind the dynamic duo who will be operating the Southwest’s very first Barlor. “The Phoenix location is owned by Tamika Wooten and her daughter Dominika Cheatham. Tamika has a legal background and she’s very connected in Phoenix. A few years ago, they visited New York City and fell in love with Tipsy Scoop and decided they had to bring it to Phoenix.” Chitwood says the Barlor is centrally located right in the middle of downtown, with a fresh and modern vibe.
Each Tipsy Scoop flavor, like the Cake Batter Vodka Martini and the Tequila “Hot” Chocolate Ice Cream, is made with premium ingredients and infused with alcohol. Each serving is about 5% ABV — about the same alcohol content as in a light beer, says Chitwood. “We like to be whimsical and we like to be playful. We’re more about how the flavor profiles in the spirits enhance the ice cream. It’s really about having a little indulgence.”
The Phoenix Barlor will also offer a special signature Prickly Pear Margarita sorbet, a sweet/tart delight. Other Arizona-centric flavors are the Tequila Sunrise, named for the cocktail invented at the Arizona Biltmore; and the Haboob, a delicious storm of flavors made with Rumchata, Baileys, cinnamon, and cinnamon doughnut bits.
Look out for special limited edition holiday flavors, based on your favorite Christmas movies: the Bad Santa, the Grinchmas Margarita, the World’s Best Cup of Coffee, and the Rum Rum Rudolph. Each of these are available as scoops and prepackaged for gift giving and holiday gatherings.
The Phoenix Barlor will also serve traditional cocktails and guests can even opt for beer and champagne floats, made with boozy ice creams and sorbets.
Tipsy Scoop has taken off since Melissa Tavss started infusing ice cream with spirits back in 2013. The ice cream entrepreneur hosted Tipsy Scoop happy hours before opening the first shop on 26th Street in New York City. Since then. the company has grown with locations from Portland to Pensacola — and now Phoenix. The fun continues with Barlors planned for Baltimore, Miami, and Dallas in 2026.
