OREM – The Utah-born Cold Case Ice Cream business is charting a whole new direction for the frozen delight by adding layers of intrigue and outright decadence.
Cold Case CEO Josh Butt says the decadence factor comes from plenty of butterfat and an outright abundance of fresh add-ins to the super-creamy concoction. And he promises the Cold Case flavors deliver a whole new experience compared to what people can purchase in the grocery store.
“Low butterfat concentration means the manufacturer incorporated a lot of air. In the industry it’s called overrun. Standard ice cream is 100 percent overrun, meaning you’ve incorporated air to where the volume has almost doubled,” Butt explained. “Our maximum overrun is 50 percent. Some (flavors) are a lot less.
But some overrun is useful, he adds, “so you’ve got that creamy feel without skimping on any of the richness, flavor or creaminess.”
But Cold Case also provides a custard-like enjoyment without all the eggs. “There’s a distinct mouth experience that’s different,” Butt said. “It melts in your mouth evenly all across your tongue.”
But there’s more to this product than incredible taste — there are mysteries waiting to be solved. In every “Cold Case” of six multi-flavored pints delivered to your door, there’s a golden shovel spoon, incident reports that relate to the flavor profiles, and an exclusive Cold Case mystery game.
Yes, they’re encouraging people to play with their food.
Flavors include Illegal Fireworks (cake batter ice cream inundated with red, white and blue fudge-coated popping candy), America’s Most Wanted (goat cheese, blackberry jam, sliced almonds, butter, brown sugar, honey and rosemary) and Stone Cold Killer (sweet cream base, brownie, chocolate-covered waffle cone bits and fudge swirl).
So just how many add-ins can you pack into a pint of ice cream? Apparently enough to populate every single bite. And Butt says that Cold Case add-ins are extraordinarily fresh.
“Our inclusions are to die for. They are made that same day from scratch,” Butt said, touting their “Better than Sex” flavor loaded with caramel cake, toffee and marshmallow.
“The cake is made that morning, added to the ice cream, and already in the package by lunchtime,” Butt said.
The company is currently finishing a new production facility in Springville, Utah that will allow upscaling to meet customer demand that now stretches across the US by way of DoorDash deliveries.
That facility will feature more automation. With Butt’s background in dairy, manufacturing and food safety, he expressed excitement over steering Cold Case’s expansion.
“Demand is going up almost exponentially, so we need to make sure our equipment can keep the same quality and integrity of the product,” Butt said. “As we speak, we have walls going up, drains going in and equipment will arrive here in two-and-a-half weeks. So we’re rapidly growing.”
But the sheer fun of the business can be found in its weekly innovation sessions, where employees brainstorm new flavors, names with double entendres, and recipes designed to stir both imagination and appetite.
“We have a Christmas pack coming out,” Butt said, “and it includes names like Slay Ride, Christmas Crack, Gingerbread Manslaughter.”
The company came up with a new packaging concept for the six-pint Cold Case that gets shipped to customers around the US. While it used to be a bulky styrofoam container with dry ice, Butt said they’ve switched to a lighter cardboard case that’s lined with bubble wrap and foil.
“So overall, we’re making it more efficient,” Butt said. “Our packs have dropped in price from $150 to $120 because we’re extending the savings that we’re seeing on our shipping and delivery to the customer.”
In October, Cold Case is expanding into retail, when people can find select Cold Case pints at Harmon’s supermarkets. But for broader selection, customers can go online at and design their own six-packs to be delivered to the destination of their choice.
Butt’s personal flavor favorite is Killer Bees — chock full of honeycomb candy in a sweet cream base and honey swirl.
