YORK, Pa. — It's right in the name: ice cream usually leaves your mouth feeling frozen.
But not Urban Churn's latest creation.
Their ultra-spicy Frozen Inferno clocks in at about 9 million Scoville—to give some context, that's about 2,300 times hotter than Tabasco. The ice cream is so hot that it requires special procedures to make.
"We cold pressed and pureed various hot peppers and used a natural extract to boost the heat," Urban Churn owner Adam Brackbill said. "We have to churn this separately from our normal manufacturing equipment as not to cross-contaminate. It’s dangerous to make and handle."
Brackbill brought the not-so-sweet treat to the FOX43 studio for a taste... and the red faces and tears were immediate.
Urban Churn actually created two previous iterations of the flavor but decided they simply weren't hot enough. Brackbill says this fine-tuned release of Frozen Inferno gets the heat to hit your tongue up front, with a sweet pepper flavor throughout.
"It burns, but thanks to the butterfat, the heat dissipates from your mouth relatively quick," Brackbill said.
Even with that built-in fire hose, the heat is still intense—so much so that Urban Churn requires those brave enough to take a taste to be at least 18 years old and sign a waiver in order to try it. They recommend that people with a weak stomach do not consume the ice cream.
Supplies are limited, but all three Urban Churn locations carry Frozen Inferno. Urban Churn says they have the most stock at their newest store, located at 258 Westminster Drive in Carlisle. Ice cream aficionados can also pre-order pints on the shop's website to make sure they get a taste.
Frozen Inferno isn't the only specialty flavor Urban Churn boasts. The shop prides itself on churning unique and unusual flavors, such as cricket and sauerkraut ice cream. You can stay up to date with their fun flavors on Facebook.