By Alexander Novoa and Joseph Rodriguez, September 26, 2023
As the new semester kicks off at Cal Poly Pomona, the CPP Farm Store and Innovation Brew Works are now open, offering their latest new items.
The Farm Store has recently partnered with the Don B. Huntley College of Agriculture and Coney Island Creamery to offer new flavors of ice cream. The student-developed ice cream is made from ingredients grown at CPP. The flavors available at the store vary depending on the season. Unfortunately, the Satsuma Mandarin flavor is currently out of stock, but customers can try the new and exciting avocado flavor.
The idea of avocado in ice cream might seem unconventional, even daring; however, it was surprisingly delicious after taking a spoonful.
One of the most noticeable things about the avocado ice cream is its incredibly smooth and creamy texture. The taste of avocado was expected to be overpowering, but it turned out to be quite subtle and gently lingering in the background without overshadowing the other ingredients.
The ice cream contains less than 2% vanilla flavor, but it still has a rich taste that includes the essence of vanilla in every bite. Little chunks of what seemed to be frozen avocado can also be found inside the ice cream, adding a crunchy surprise that balanced the ice cream’s overall sweetness.
The next new items debuting on campus come from IBW, CPP’s local brew pub known for winning awards for beer quality and taste. To celebrate Oktoberfest, its latest additions are the Das Cheesy Mac, Bronctoberfest Pizza and Giant Pretzel, paired with a new seasonal beer and seltzers.
The Das Cheesy Mac is a pub-style mac and cheese topped with bratwurst and caramelized onions.
The mac and cheese a unique taste, including a creamy and cheesy flavor. However, the show’s star for this dish was the bratwurst, a German sausage that perfectly matches the Oktoberfest theme.
The smokey bratwurst balanced well with the juiciness of the sausage spices, providing a satisfying snap in every bite. The slightly burnt but crispy caramelized onions added a soft crunch and sweet taste, which elevated the dish and added a depth of flavor.
Good food always pairs well with a tasty drink. IBW has developed its first hard seltzer, which has fittingly been named the Study Buddy. The Study Buddy comes in a 16-ounce glass served on tap and is 5.7% alcohol by volume.
Watermelon and pineapple are the two flavors for the newly released seltzer.
While most hard seltzers are clear and taste like sparkling water, a rosy hue and an overwhelming flavor of ale rid the expectations. There was a light hint of watermelon, and it was slightly flat.
The watermelon seltzer was refreshing and had a slight bitter taste that accompanied each drink. The fresh watermelon juice incorporated into the Study Buddy makes it a great drink for a sunny day after class.
The second version of the Study Buddy, the pineapple, incorporated a tropical and fresh tang.
Since the beverage isn’t like a typical seltzer, it has a fair amount of foam on top and offers a light fizz to every sip. It also goes down smoothly and leaves a sweet taste.
Just like the watermelon flavor, the pineapple Study Buddy will only be out for a limited time. Due to the fact that this seltzer is slightly above 5% ABV and comes in a large glass, it’s best to pair it with some water and drink it responsibly.
Another new item on the IBW menu is the Giant Pretzel as part of the brewery’s celebration of Bronctoberfest.
The Giant Pretzel is a large, soft-baked pretzel with a side of beer cheese and Bavarian mustard. This massive appetizer comes out of the oven hot and shareable.
There is a doughy, tough texture to the pretzel. Though the taste is excellent, the outer part of the pretzel is dry and the salt comes unevenly distributed.
The house-made beer cheese tastes like Alfredo sauce with a fluid consistency, while the Bavarian mustard tastes sweet and has a thickness to it.
The Giant Pretzel served at IBW is a fufiling side dish to have with a beer during the Oktoberfest season. Just like the hard seltzers, this food item is seasonal and may not be on the menu for long.
Feature images courtesy of Alexander Novoa
