There will soon be a special ‘husky-style’ banana chocolate chip ice cream for sale west of the Connecticut River. And salt caramel crunch. Chocolate, too. And other yummy flavors exactly the same as the flavors sold at the award-winning UConn Dairy Bar in Storrs.

In an arrangement between UConn and Bear’s Smokehouse, everyone’s favorite ice cream is now being sold at Bear’s current Hartford location on Arch Street. An even larger space will open soon on Front Street, directly across from the University’s downtown campus, which is scheduled to welcome students in the fall of 2017.  Bear’s other location, on Poquonock Avenue in Windsor, also features special flavors from UConn.

Bear’s Smokehouse specializes in wood-smoked Kansas City-style barbecue, and owner Jamie “The Bear” McDonald says that being able to offer UConn ice cream to his loyal following of customers is something he’s been looking forward to.

“Our goal is to sell the best barbecue in Connecticut, so it makes sense that we sell the best ice cream, as well,” he says.

The UConn Dairy Bar opened in 1953 to sell dairy products made by the UConn Creamery. The original ice cream recipe dates from the early 1900s, and is made with milk from the University’s herd of award-winning Holstein and Jersey cattle. UConn ice cream has won awards year after year, including the Yankee Magazine ‘Best in New England’ Editor’s Choice Award.

The dairy herd and the creamery are part of the Department of Animal Science in the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources.