Berlin Farms is on Route 62, just west of 495; it's actually a bit east of Wachusett Reservoir. While they are primarily a heritage/preservation farm, "protected under deeded conservation", they do have signs on the road saying "ice cream window open" and other explicit signs about the ice cream, so they do "count" (and once I saw their menu, I had no further doubts.) They do only have a single window and a handful of picnic tables, and somewhat limited parking.1 As it is October, they've gone all in on "fall in New England" with cider, donuts, pumpkins2, and skeletons - but the ice cream window was open at 6pm on a Thursday.
One thing that impressed me about the menu was that the toppings list was almost as long as the ice cream list - most of which I've seen before (Gummie Bears were at West Side Creamery for example), though this might be the first place I've seen Fluff listed as a topping (instead of marshmallow.) Most of the ice cream flavors were either recognizable or were New England Specials that I've seen before, though the counter staff were happy to explain the few exceptions.
They also had the usual frappes/floats/sodas/slushies, along with hotdogs and apple cider donuts.3 Other signs mentioned frozen yogurt, soft serve, and Richie's Italian Ice, but only one flavor of each - possibly they're just experimenting with them. (There was also a "New: Pumpkin Ice Cream" which is perhaps a seasonal requirement.)
First Visit
Since I had to ask about it, I went with the Fly Fishing Fudge - a rich vanilla base with chunks of everything (M&Ms, chocolate chips, fudge swirl, and probably one or two other things I've forgotten.) A satisfying mix of tastes and textures (given that I specifically wasn't in the mood for an over the top chocolate.)
The other half was Mint Cookie Fudge - green mint with lots of chocolate bits, very clear mint flavor without going all the way to "grasshopper". Nice transition from the other flavor, to the point that I forgot to take my "second scoop" picture until I'd almost finished it...
Apparently, being a New England Heritage site includes culture and language, not just pumpkins and farm animals; they had an "Ice Cream Vocabulary" sign that specifically called out the classic New England shibboleths:
- Chocolate jimmies, not sprinkles
- Rainbow sprinkles
- Frappes, not milkshakes
On a place with whiteboards I would have assumed this was just the servers4 being funny, but this was a laminated sign (although hand-written like many of the other signs) so they get credit for committing to the bit!
Next Visit
Assuming they're still open later in the year, I've got my eye on their "Chocolate Lover's Cookie Dough", "Sea Salt & Caramel", and maybe I'll see what their version of "Campfire S'mores" is like. However, they also have a drink called "Coffee Pick Me Up" - which is a frappe (your choice of ice cream) made with iced coffee instead of milk, which sounds wonderful - I'd try to make one myself but I don't have a frappe machine at home5.
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I checked the map later and it turns out the "small" lot on 62 is only about half of it; there's another entrance on the adjacent Sawyer Hill Road that might also be available and has an additional chunk of what looks like parking as well. ↩
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Specifically there's a pseudo-pumpkin-patch, just a big field with rows of large pumpkins (not actually planted there) that was getting good mileage with parents taking adorable pictures of their small (pumpkin-sized) children. ↩
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Pizzi Farm also had apple cider donuts, but only from the adjacent deli, or apparently from a separate "donut barn" that wasn't in use when I was there - Berlin Farms is notable for actually serving them from the ice cream window, plus I actually got some for breakfast the next day - they were tasty! ↩
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Hmm, what is the ice cream equivalent term for "barista"? Some of the larger chain brands call them "scoopers"... ↩
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... yet. ↩