By the pint or by the scoop?

A dairy in the north of England has begun selling Newcastle Brown Ale flavored ice cream.

Newcastle Ice CreamThe Doddington Dairy in Northumberland will sell the ice cream at supermarkets and specialty shops across Newcastle and Northumberland during the summer. The family-owners of the dairy say the handmade ice cream reflects the region’s identity.

“We were looking for an ice cream flavor that was distinctive, and had a strong identity with the region,” said Jackie Maxwell, director of Doddington Dairy. “Newcastle Brown Ale has all of that. It has been a fantastic challenge working on a product like this, with one of the world’s most famous brands.”

The ice cream uses the ale as an ingredient, and when the process is done contains less than 1% alcohol.

Newcastle Brown Ale has already been used as an ingredient in locally produced products, such as bread.

Maxwell said the product had a caramel flavour with a “subtle” taste of Newcastle Brown and that it was well received when the the European Capital of Culture 2008 judges visited. “I think they liked it, they thought it was great. We got some feedback from the organizers and they said they had tasted it and enjoyed it,” she said.

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