Frozen custard is best enjoyed immediately, at the stand where you bought it just moments ago. But for folks who live outside Milwaukee and want to be able to bring some of this delectable treat home after a visit to Brew City, transporting custard can be a challenge.
Some people – like one woman featured in the new book I co-authored, "Milwaukee Frozen Custard" – have relied on custard care packages shipped at great expense. But that's less than ideal.
Worry no more. Kopp's has come up with a solution.
For just $28, Kopp's Frozen Custard Travel Pak includes four pints of custard, packed with TSA-approved dry ice in an insulated thermal bag inside a carrying box with a handle. Because the custard is frozen hard, it's not considered a liquid and can be carried on board an airplane.
"Customers have shown interest in taking Kopp’s frozen custard to friends and relatives for a long time, but it was our great customer and super fan, Betsy Rowbottom, whose enthusiasm launched a call to action," says Kopp's owner, Karl Kopp.
"She, along with our longtime manager, Jeff Feist, created the Travel Pak. The Pak meets TSA guidelines – less than five pounds of dry ice – and the custard stays frozen for 8-10+ hours. The Travel Paks are also ideal for road trips! Stop by our Layton store before heading to Madison or Green Bay or Door County or wherever your travels take you, and enjoy Kopp’s frozen custard when you arrive at your destination!"
You can choose the four flavors for your Travel Pak, which is currently only available at the Kopp's Greenfield location on 76th and Layton, from a selection of 10 available: vanilla, Swiss chocolate, butter pecan, caramel cashew, chocolate chip cookie dough, cookies ‘n cream, mint chip, red raspberry, tiramisu and turtle sundae.
"I want people to know that solid frozen custard is never as good as the fresh custard that comes right out of the machine, but when you’re far from Milwaukee and it's your only option, it's pretty good," says Kopp.
Kopp says that he and is his team are working on some other changes at the Greenfield custard and burger stand.
"We are working on a outdoor garden space for the 76th and Layton location," he says. "We are hoping to achieve a more serene area where customers can leisurely enjoy a cone or a sandwich. The area is being designed by Terra Firma, who are wonderful people to work with. It is young and growing, but we will have benches and roses galore, with alcoves for all to revel in and attain a few moments of respite. Check it out in spring 2017."
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
