It is no secret that nothing goes better together than fresh baked goods and homemade artisan ice cream. Fortunately for those visiting Antique Row in Binghamton, you can get the best of both worlds at 81 Clinton Street, home of both De Colores Cookies y Más and Milk + Ice Handcrafted Ice Cream. Scott and Katie Perkins, creators behind all of Milk + Ice’s unique flavors, knew that they found the perfect partners in Ely and Brian Rooney. Both pairs clearly shared a passion for their craft and a strong desire to support other small businesses in the community.
Born and raised in Broome County, Scott and Katie knew that this was the perfect location for them to grow their roots and open up shop. The idea for Milk + Ice stems from two of Scott’s favorite memories. Scott, like anyone, has always loved ice cream. He recalls growing up on Binghamton’s East Side, playing sports as a kid, and visiting Parisi’s Twin Freeze with his family. Many Broome County locals can look fondly back on the memories of Parisi’s, a homemade ice cream shop and restaurant open from 1976 to 2005, and with 40 homemade flavors to choose from they had something for everybody.
In 2018, Scott and Katie visited New Orleans and they found a small-batch, craft ice cream shop. Immediately they knew that Binghamton needed its very own handcrafted ice cream shop. With their passion for food and inspiration from both their recent trip and Scott’s childhood trips to Parisi’s, they returned from New Orleans and began experimenting with a small countertop machine at home.
Their unique flavors include Lemon Buttermilk & Blueberry, Gianduja, Burnt S’more, and many more! Every week they are always coming up with new and exciting flavors. Milk + Ice truly started with Scott and Katie just giving away pints of ice cream for free through Facebook during the early months of the pandemic to cheer people up while locked down. For ten weeks, they drove everywhere from Montrose to Apalachin to deliver the free pints which they called Door Stop Drop, giving away a total of 60 pints, and then from there it took off. Scott and Katie both agree, “Our business happened organically. As we continued to give away ice cream and get it into more hands, the positive feedback was a huge motivator to push it forward.”
One of the most important things to Scott and Katie about their business is that they source as many ingredients as they can from other local small businesses. Customers can expect to see collaborations not only with De Colores Cookies y Más, but also with other small businesses like Soul Sweet by Lindsey, Bread in the Wild Binghamton, The Cider Mill, Trinity Valley Dairy, and more! For Scott and Katie, it’s important to be able to give back to the community they have lived in most of their lives by supporting their fellow small businesses and donating proceeds to causes they care about.
“We have become great friends with other local small business owners and it is an amazing community to be a part of.” Scott and Katie, who live in Chenango Bridge, say that their favorite part of living in Broome County now is visiting the Binghamton Downtown and frequenting their favorite small businesses and local restaurants. “It’s an incredible feeling to own and operate a small business here. You meet some amazing people who support you week after week.” Scott and Katie are also thankful for the many resources available to businesses in Broome County and noted how they have helped to further the business.
From making experimental batches of one of a kind ice cream in his kitchen to moving into the brick-and-mortar space on Clinton Street with De Colores Cookies y Más, Milk + Ice has come a long way in a short amount of time. Scott and Katie both attribute their success to the community that they are a part of and believe that’s why they have found a good life here in Broome County.
“A good life means to be around good people who bring positive and uplifting energy to your circle. It means living the life you want to live and making the best of your days. We have definitely found a good life here in Broome County, it’s home.”
Visit Milk + Ice at their shop at 81 Clinton Street in Binghamton, New York and make sure to keep a close eye on their social media for their new and novel flavors!
Milk + Ice and Katie & Scott Perkins are a proud part of the #MadeinBroome program.