Click the image or use the arrows to see more photos from Sweet Peaks in Whitefish.
WHITEFISH – One man’s salmon topping is another man’s ice cream flavor.
At Sweet Peaks Homemade Ice Cream, owners Sam Dauenhauer and Marissa Keenan believe ice cream inspiration is everywhere, as long as you keep your eyes and mind open, and you’re willing to take a chance.
Sometimes, the inspiration leads to questionable results and sends the ice cream entrepreneurs back to the drawing board. Other times, like with the salmon topping-inspired lemon dill flavor, it works out perfectly.
“People love it,” Dauenhauer said of the lemon dill ice cream.
And that’s really what it’s all about at Sweet Peaks. Start out with good, local ingredients, take a fresh approach everyday and pay close attention to what the customers like. If they like lemon dill or bacon chocolate or rhubarb crunch, give them what they want, but never get too comfortable.
There is always a new flavor combination to try.
“It’s a blank palette,” Keenan said, “It’s like art; it’s like painting. There are so many different possible combinations. We haven’t even scratched the surface.”
She added: “We are inspired by everything.”
Since opening Sweet Peaks in April of 2010, Dauenhauer and Keenan have made ice cream with roughly 75-100 flavor combinations. But they always keep a supply of the classics on hand, so fans of chocolate, vanilla and local favorite huckleberry won’t be disappointed.
“We try to be creative and edgy with our flavors while maintaining the classic flavors and doing those classic flavors well,” Keenan said.
As is the nature of experimentation, Dauenhauer and Keenan have experienced missteps along the way. They say family and friends are often the recipients of the flavors gone wrong.
“Some things don’t work, like when Sam tried to do something with mustard,” Keenan said.
But more often than not, the experimentation works, at least for certain people. Fans of chocolate bacon are loyal, but for those wary of that particular combination, there are dozens of other flavors to choose from on Sweet Peaks’ ever-changing menu. Some flavors are rotated seasonally, while others are year-round mainstays.
Dauenhauer and Keenan have discovered social media to be an endlessly valuable tool in interacting with customers to better understand their tastes. If they are promoting a new flavor, the owners are able to get extensive and instant feedback.
Sweet Peaks’ owners know, however, that creativity would only get them so far without quality. With that in mind, they place high priority on fresh, locally derived ingredients, while churning out a “low-overrun” ice cream that minimizes air content. The result is a dense, flavorful and full-bodied ice cream.
Sweet Peaks also sells dairy-free sorbet, in a variety of fruit and other flavors, along with yogurt.
Milk and eggs used at Sweet Peaks come from Montana. Other ingredients are grown locally, such as the dill used in the lemon dill flavor, Flathead cherries, mint and more.
“We try to seek out what’s available here and it has to be good,” Keenan said.
Dauenhauer has converted two horse trailers into mobile ice cream vendors, which can be found at local farmers’ markets and various other events. Sweet Peaks also does weddings and private occasions. A dozen local restaurants sell Sweet Peaks ice cream as well. Additionally, the owners recently opened up a new location in Bigfork connected to the Bigfork Inn.
Keenan said she was “pleasantly surprised to find out that ice cream season is year round,” with “incredible local support” complimenting a thriving summer tourist season. At a “free scoop” day in June, 1,500 people showed up.
Dauenhauer built much of the furniture inside Sweet Peaks, demonstrating yet again both his resourcefulness and his dedication to creativity. Nobody would ever accuse Dauenhauer and Keenan of lacking creativity.
“In the end,” Dauenhauer said, “you have to be unique.”
Sweet Peaks is located at 419 1/2 Third Street in Whitefish. It can be reached at (406) 863-9973 or found online at www.sweetpeaksicecream.com.