LA is in the middle of an ice cream evolution. And you're invited to get a taste!

A couple of years ago, boutique ice cream was all the rage in L.A. Now? We're see a new, sweet wave drawing on influences from different cultures around the world.

So mark your calendars, because you’re being invited to an ice cream party celebrating that ice cream evolution we're seeing here in Southern California.

On Wednesday, July 31, LAist is hosting its annual Ice Cream Social. There will be plenty of sweet treats for you to sample, and we'll be hearing from some of our favorite independently-owned ice cream makers from L.A and O.C., each with their own story about how they make it and the flavors that inspire them.

Here’s a closer look at the artisanal ice cream makers who will be there:

626 Hospitality Group

Amber Tan and Waldo Yan began their shop in 2020, after they both lost their jobs in hospitality due to the pandemic. Now based in Arcadia, the 626 Hospitality Group is open only four days a week but has amassed a cult following, illustrated by the robust line that goes on well into the wee hours of the night.

Sold by the pint or in soft serve form, their ice cream flavors represent their upbringings in the San Gabriel Valley, and cultures such as Vietnam and Korea, with matcha, Yakult, (a Japanese sweetened probiotic milk) and others. There are also endless topping options, including everything from gummy bears to mochi.

Kinrose Creamery

Headed by husband-and-wife team Moe Kamal and Maria Oveysi, Kinrose Creamery first set up shop in Old Town Pasadena and now pop up at Smorgasburg LA every Sunday.

Kinrose specializes in Middle Eastern flavors, specifically Iranian and Egyptian. Think sour cherry ice cream topped with pashmak, which is described as a type of Iranian cotton candy. Their baklava ice cream is another standout, taking flavors from the Middle Eastern pastry like spiced walnuts and brown sugar and infusing them into the ice cream, topped with flaked pastry bits for added texture.

Tocumbo OC

Located in Orange County in Anaheim, Tocumbo OC gets its name from the small municipality in the Mexican state of Michoacán, the epicenter of Mexican ice cream and paletas. (There’s even a monument of a giant popsicle there to stake that claim.)

Jennifer Clausen-Quiroz and her brother Ricky Quiroz started Tocumbo to continue that tradition using recipes sourced directly from Michoacán.

The ice cream shop offers wide-ranging flavors, including ice cream sundaes made with Gansitos, chocolate-dipped snack cakes filled with cream and jam (a personal favorite of yours truly), and a serious selection of paletas with various flavors, including chamoy and Fervi chocolate ice cream, from chocolate imported from Zacatecas, to name a few.

Event details

• Tickets: $20 for preferred seating, or a pay-what-you-can option that’s first come, first serve.
  
• Event: starts at 6 p.m. with samples and tastings, and continues from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. with a panel discussion hosted by me and my colleague, Brian De Los Santos, the host of How To LA.
  
• Address: The Crawford, 474 South Raymond Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91105 (home of Southern California Public Radio and LAist)
  

The social is part of LAist's Culinary Connections event series, highlighting Southern California's diverse and inventive food scene. The event collaborates with California Humanities, an independent nonprofit organization and National Endowment for the Humanities partner.

California Humanities' mission is to connect Californians to ideas and one another to understand our shared heritage and diverse cultures. California Humanities has graciously provided ongoing support for the event series.