77K Freeze

The liquid nitrogen ice cream game in Vancity is limited to only a few establishments.  I've been to most of them and I would say that all do a pretty decent job with each putting their own spin on it (sorry for the pun).  However, to not be dismissed as merely a fad, things need to evolve and again, one must stand out to succeed.  So when I was invited for a tasting at 77K Freeze, I was intrigued by their liqueur-infused creations as well as the option to pick a base, custom ingredients and most ground-breaking of all, the ability to control the sweetness. 

We were treated to 3 of their signature flavours including the Uji Matcha and PnP (Passion Fruit & Pineapple).  Sporting its usual attractive green hue, the matcha was balanced being completely discernible without excessive bitterness.  Furthermore, the sweetness level was rather conservative (default for all the flavours) while the texture was smooth and creamy.  As for the PnP, it was a bit sweeter due to the nature of the fruity ingredients.  It almost tasted like a pina colada with aromatics and tang.  Our last non-alcoholic treat was the Blue Lavender made with a yogurt base.  It was firm, sweet, tangy and floral.  I'm usually not a huge fan of lavender, but they exercised restraint here and it was not overly strong.

Moving onto the adult desserts, my favourite was the Evil Orange Cacao which emulated a Terry's chocolate orange except with the addition of liqueur.  There was a good amount of chocolate that wasn't overly sweet.  Possibly due to the orange, there was a background floral quality which was also quite appealing.  I also liked the fact they added just the right amount of liqueur to give it some oomph without being too strong.  Remarkably lighter, the Kiss Champagne, with moonshine, blue curacao & tequila, was rather refreshing.  Again, the liqueur essence was balanced where the mild sweetness made it a dangerous dessert (if it were an alcoholic drink). 

Our final Dark Matters treat was Captain Jack featuring spiced rum, mango, raspberry & liqueur.  I found this one to be creamy, yet firm with the liqueur announcing itself mildly but finishing off strongly.  There was a sweet and fruity slant while the pop rocks on top added both texture and some pizazz. In general, I thought 77K Freeze does a good job in incorporating liqueur into their frozen desserts to make them appealing rather than for shock value.  In fact, I enjoyed all of the items we were served mostly due to the mild sugar content.  I'm not a huge fan of sweets and these were in my wheelhouse.

*All desserts and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Fully custom from sugar-level to base
- Liqueur-infused desserts work
- Not over-the-top

The Bad:
- Since liqueur doesn't freeze well, the desserts melt fast (so eat it fast instead of taking a gazillion pictures of it! LOL)