Few things are more consistent in life than Sharples ice cream. When you stumble bleary-eyed into Sharples on a Saturday morning, you’ll see the ice cream station nice and ready to jolt you out of sleep. When you walk into Sharples for dinner, after an exhausting day of homework, you’ll still see the ice cream, surrounded by a crowd of dessert-loving students. 

Although only three ice cream flavors are available at any one time, the dedicated staff often switch them up. If you have any requests for re-stocking a particular flavor, you can write it down on a napkin and pin it up on the suggestions board near the entrance to Sharples. 

There is also tofutti frozen yogurt available for those of us who prefer dairy-free treats, though I haven’t really tried it out and can’t pass judgment on its taste. 

Since there are so many options, how do we know which ice cream flavors are better than others? Many times I’ve excitedly scooped a new flavor into my bowl, only to be greeted with confusion or disappointment. So here, I’ve provided a simple criteria for you to evaluate the ice cream flavors in Sharples. 

Taste

We all have different backgrounds and taste buds, so judging taste is highly subjective, though the food you enjoy on a daily basis can inform your Sharples ice cream preferences. If you like a combination of sweet and savory flavors, you may want to try butterscotch or salted caramel pretzel ice cream. If you enjoy simple and sweet flavors, there’s always the classic vanilla bean, chocolate, and strawberry combination. 

Texture 

Most Sharples ice cream is smooth and creamy, but there are some which come with a twist. Cookies and cream, for instance, contains chocolate cookie bits that blend seamlessly with rich vanilla to give you a pleasant crunch. Strawberries and cream contains frozen strawberries, which are helpful for convincing yourself that eating ice cream is healthy, if you find yourself with a giant cone of sugary goodness right after your workout. 

Novelty

Odd flavors appear sometimes, and they usually come with a cute but uninformative name. The famous rainbow-colored ice cream is Super Swirl, a mixture of seemingly radioactive bright blue, yellow, and red. It’s one of my personal favorites because it simply looks so interesting, but many people dislike the sickeningly sweet and artificial flavor. Other strange ice cream flavors are butter brickle and birthday cake. Butter brickle, a shocking yellow ice cream with mysterious chunks, looks and tastes like classic carnival food, while birthday cake tastes like what happens when a kid blends plain vanilla supermarket cake with ice cream and sprinkles. Most students either love or hate these novel flavors, so try them if you’re feeling adventurous. 

Popularity

If you’re confused, you may follow the crowd and try the flavors which have the longest lines or most number of scoops from the tub. Coffee is one of the most beloved flavors, since almost everyone on this campus has a caffeine addiction. Green tea or matcha often runs out because every time a tub is placed in the serving area, many students jump in line to eagerly try it out. Cookie dough is also pretty popular because of the soft, chewy, chocolatey bits of dough buried like treasure inside the ice cream. 

Whichever your flavor of choice, ice cream is always a good reason to go to Sharples on a gloomy or weary day. Take your time to explore the various flavors waiting to be discovered. Sometimes, there are other desserts that go with ice cream like a match made in heaven, such as warm apple pie or chewy cookies, so always check the Sharples menu and stay on the lookout for these sweet treats!