August is historically the steamiest, stickiest, sweatiest month of the year–brilliant move, Founding Fathers, building the nation’s capital on a swamp–in these parts. We’ve tracked down 31 frozen treats (one a day for the rest of this month) to provide you with some temporary, and often insanely delicious, relief.
The place: Woody’s Ice Cream – 10435 North St., Fairfax; 703-277-9553; www.woodysicecream.com
The prescription: A&W root beer float. Those who remember the original Woody’s, a modest respite that cranked out thick, creamy soft serve on in the shadow of the since-shuttered Carlos O’Kelly’s, should be happy to hear that founder Woodrow “Woody” Lashley didn’t get all crazy when he relocated to Old Town Fairfax last fall. “Everything’s the same,” Lashley assured us, touting the same core ice cream flavors (vanilla, chocolate and twist), sundaes (hot fudge brownie, banana split, strawberry shortcake) and frozen drinks (shakes, floats) folks have come to know and love. Which is why we were content to kick back with a classic root beer float–a preternaturally sweet sensation that rose up to meet our lips in the form of fizzy, mocha colored bubbles that popped and hissed as the spicy root beer ate away at the slowly descending ice cream.
Lashley is more of straight soft serve man–”I like the twist … because I get both worlds,” he shared–but appreciates everyone’s individual preferences. “Cups and cones get everybody in the doors,” he said of the frosty stuff’s near-universal appeal.
You know what folks like even better than great ice cream? FREE ice cream! And Lashley promises to give away plenty of that during his annual end-of-the-season “jubilee” (Think: free food and drinks, moon bounces, classic cars on display), set this year for October 29. After that, you’ll have to wait to till the following April to get another Woody’s fix.
–Warren
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Keep tabs on the month long Freeze Jag trek here.