I hadn’t realized former Bronco quarterback John Elway made wine. That is, until I learned of the new flavors coming out of Bonnie Brae Ice Cream in Denver.
Like the football star, Bonnie Brae Ice Cream has history in the Mile High, serving hand-crafted cones since 1986. Elway himself started with the Denver Broncos a few years before in 1983. Years after retirement from the NFL, in 2015 the football star launched his wine brand 7Cellars, under the tutelage of the equally famed wine producer, Rob Mondavi, Jr.
Now, 7Cellars and Bonnie Brae have collided to make a delicious ice cream available throughout the summer. Or at least until June 30. Using the winery’s The Farm Collection, released in 2020, ice cream master Silas Bonczyk churned up delicious combinations.
The first, Cabernet Nutella Bliss, a combination of the title wine with vanilla ice cream and a silky swirl of chocolate hazelnut. For Pinot Noir fans, try the Blueberry Noir Indulgence. It has a vanilla ice cream base mixed with juicy, whole blueberries and chocolate chips. Finally the Chardonnay Apricot Dream. Bonczyk used the winery’s chardonnay and combined it with apricots and luscious mascarpone.
This isn’t the first time Bonnie Brae has dabbled into the world of wine ice cream. In the past the menu featured a rosé frozen treat, and Bonczyk did a cherry-cabernet flavor. Based on the success of these new 7Cellars flavors, it won’t be the shop’s last foray into this category.
Creating new flavors of ice cream isn’t new for the institution, which is still family owned after all these years. In the 1980s Bonnie Brae was one of the first craft ice cream parlors around. It replaced a Dolly Madison ice cream shop, a Hostess brand company that slowly faded from view and was gone by 2012. Fun fact, the first Chipotle ever also took over a Dolly Madison shop on the corner of Evans Avenue and Gilpin Street.
The culture of high-end, innovative ice cream didn’t really take off until the early 2000s, but Bonnie Brae has been ahead of the curve with its home-made and unique flavored treats for years. Today the menu board boasts options such as Salted Orea, Chai Tea, Butterfinger Chip, and Guava-Pineapple Sherbert.
Now Bonnie Brae offers guests vegan and dairy-free options as well. Of course classics remain popular too, perfect for long-time customers craving a fix of Rocky Road, Strawberry, or Peppermint, a signature flavor that uses Hammond’s peppermint candies in the recipe.
“About 70-percent of the things we sell are our top 10 flavors, and the menu hasn’t changed much in those regards,” said co-owner Adrian Simon. “Coffee & Donuts, that’s a new one and we get doughnuts from a place down the street called We Knead Donut.”
But back to the new options. Try all the wine flavors, and, while drinking actual wine there isn’t allowed, all ages can enjoy sampling the 7Cellars ice cream. Prices range from $5.45 for a single scoop, to $8.25 for a pint. Take it home, to the park, or simply indulge out front under one of the bright red umbrellas.
Visit Bonnie Brae Ice Cream Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. 799 S. University Blvd., Denver, bonniebraeicecream.com
