About Hartzell's Ice Cream

Handcrafted, small-batch, and inventive ice cream is Hartzell Martel’s passion, inspired by the wide variety of people that live in and pass through Bloomington. Carefully curating each ingredient and locally sourcing whenever possible, he composes nuanced flavors ranging from Italian Caffé Corretto and Japanese Cherry Wasabi to Indiana Apple Butter Rummy Pecan.

“Sometimes flavor ideas will wake me up at two in the morning,” he says. “Or I’ll be driving and suddenly realize what I need to make next.”

Seasonal fruits inspired by local landscape

The local landscape is a key resource for Hartzell’s creations; he incorporates seasonal fruits from strawberries to persimmon and pure honey from nearby Hunter’s Honey Farm. His signature flavor “The Garden of Good and Evil” features locally grown lavender as well as vodka distilled at Bloomington’s Cardinal Spirits.

Not only are these singular creations unique to Hartzell’s Ice Cream Shop, they have never been captured in a recorded recipe. So top secret are his frozen formulas that they exist only in Hartzell’s mind.

“Each batch is slightly different,” he says. “I’m always experimenting and improving.”

Extraordinary & memorable experiences

Hartzell’s is also celebrated in Monroe County classrooms, where children routinely recognize the shop in their annual vote on favorite places. In addition to visiting with their families, school groups are frequently welcomed for a lesson on the ice cream crafting process and a chance to sample new flavors.

For children and adults alike, Hartzell’s goal is to create extraordinary and memorable experiences. “I want people to remember the exact taste of the ice cream hours and even days later,” he says. “The community here is what motivates me, so I hope that by providing something different and special I can make a lasting impression on them.”

Artisan approach also found in great local restaurants

His artisan approach has been embraced in Bloomington, with many local restaurants incorporating his ice cream on their dessert menus including FARMbloomington, Osteria Rago, Truffles, and The Roost.

Hartzell has been Bloomington’s ice cream man for nearly 25 years. After serving up scoops at the iconic Jiffy Treet on Kirkwood Avenue for more than a decade, he opened his eponymous shop in the heart of downtown across from Indiana University’s Sample Gates. Hartzell’s has been featured in national publications including Bon Appetit, American Airlines’ inflight magazine, Scoop Adventures: The Best Ice Cream of the 50 States, and Let’s Go USA.