Alec’s Ice Cream of Petaluma rebranding after switch to new dairy supplier, eco-friendly packaging

If you’ve reached for a cold pint of Alec’s Ice Cream on one of the recent sweltering days, you may have noticed a change.

In a 2021 interview with the Argus-Courier, owner and founder Alec Jaffe expressed a desire to keep the label of Alec’s Ice Cream simple and straightforward by drawing the flavors “right onto the packing.” In the year and a half since its introduction, though, a lot has changed for the company behind the scenes, leading to its repackaging.

“The catalyst for this was wanting to bring some of the unique things about our ice cream and our ingredient sourcing onto the label,” Jaffe said.

The label still exhibits the prime flavors but now, instead of just being the backdrop artwork, those ingredients are front and center. The label incorporates a cartoon drawing of a cow and Mother Earth, engaged in various ice cream-related activities, each one unique to their pint’s flavor.

Most important to Jaffe in this rebranding was to include some of the lesser-known qualities that go into making the ice cream.

There are several certifications and changes to Alec’s offerings that Jaffe wanted to highlight in the hopes discerning consumers would take a closer look at what they’re eating and how conscious consumerism can make a real change to the planet.

The company has shifted to use a bio-based container, made from sugarcane, a renewable resource that is easier to break down once discarded.

A new logo on the container, “Land to Market,” is also meant to give consumers “confidence that your purchase decisions are healing the planet instead of degrading it” and revolves around regenerative farming and ranching.

Regenerative farming, as well as the Alec’s move to 100% A2 milk, directly relates to its recent change in dairy sourcing to Alexandre Family Farm in Humboldt County. Alexandre Family Farm offers organic A2 milk, suggested to be easier — than A1 milk — for humans to digest, and is America’s first certified regenerative dairy.

One idea of regenerative farming is to address the soil in a way that draws carbon dioxide out of the environment, instead of releasing it, which is one of the primary concerns of climate change.

According to Jaffe, the change in dairy sourcing did not change the ice cream’s flavor or texture.

The company’s top-selling flavor is its honey blueberry lavender, with other flavors including matcha chocolate chip, chocolate chocolate chip (which recently replaced the plain chocolate ice cream), salted caramel latte, mint chocolate chip and Tahitian vanilla bean.

Along with shipping online orders throughout the country, Alec’s is now at over 500 stores nationwide, including at Mom’s Organic Market, a venerable high-quality grocery along the East Coast. However, Jaffe hasn’t overlooked his roots.

Though originally from Southern California, Alec’s now calls Petaluma home, taking over the production space vacated by Three Twins Ice Cream in 2020.

Alec’s ice cream is available locally at Charley’s Wine Country Deli, Wilibees Wines & Spirits, Petaluma Market and other local chain grocers, or found by visiting alecsicecream.com. It will also have a booth at the Petaluma Craft Beer Fest, from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday in Petaluma.