Mention the UConn Dairy Bar and alumni often get misty-eyed with memories. Production manager Charlie Hatton has seen it many times, in the dreamy looks on the faces of returning graduates as they recount stories of meeting girlfriends, boyfriends and future spouses over milkshakes, cups and cones piled high with freshly made ice cream that made an indelible impression on the taste buds. Visiting parents and area residents also appear regularly with coolers to cart off a few half gallons, says Hatton, who is UConn's ice cream-making master.

Now the rest of Connecticut is joining the ranks of the converted. In July UConn Huskies Dairy Bar ice cream made its debut in supermarkets and other retail outlets throughout the state and region. Sold in half-gallon oval tubs, it comes in eight flavors with names such as Midnight Madness, Scholar Chip and 4.0 Chocolate. Royalties stemming from its sales will directly benefit academic programs in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

"With the exception of our graduates, UConn ice cream is probably the most well-known product that emanates from Storrs," says Chancellor John Petersen.

"It makes perfect sense to offer another quality UConn product to residents statewide."

It was sampling two hot fudge sundaes that got Hatton hooked as a high school student on a field trip to the Dairy Bar. He began working there part-time in 1972, while studying in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. "I expected to stay six months and never left," he says.

Dale Dreyfuss, UConn's vice chancellor for business and administration, was instrumental in transforming the ice cream idea from concept to conveyer belt. In late 2000, he began discussing UConn ice cream with University President Philip E. Austin. A premium product with a wider distribution, he pointed out, could provide two direct benefits to the University: added resources for academic programs and increased visibility.

Cameron Faustman, chair of the department of animal science, realized help would be needed for such an expanded venture because the Dairy Bar didn't have adequate production and distribution capabilities. The key would be to identify a partner to work with the Dairy Bar to produce ice cream that matched the quality found in Storrs.

Royal Ice Cream in Manchester, Conn., seemed a logical choice. Its production facility is close to the Storrs campus and it has a long history of working with Guida Dairy, a New Britain-based manufacturer and distributor of dairy products.

The proposal interested Guida. Bernie Guida '55 (CANR), chairman of the board also was "ecstatic about the idea."

Guida's sales manager, Dan Tegolini vividly remembers weekend excursions to the Dairy Bar in his parents' station wagon during the 1960s, and was equally enthusiastic. Last summer, Faustman and Hatton visited the Guida and Royal facilities to begin discussions about quality control and other details aimed at replication of the exact Dairy Bar formula. What emerged was a plan to use UConn's recipe and specifications to produce a premium ice cream that could be distributed statewide.

The first taste test was in February 2003. "It was basically a group of adults sitting around a table stuffing themselves silly with ice cream," Dreyfuss says.

The group mulled over production information and packing design options before choosing and naming the eight flavors. They include original Dairy Bar favorites, such as Jonathan's Supreme, a best-selling blend of chocolate covered peanuts in a vanilla base with peanut butter swirl, and new ones like Midnight Madness, a chocolate ice cream with black cherries, chocolate chips and malted milk balls colored orange, like basketballs.

Those flavors now are on sale at the UConn Dairy Bar, where Hatton is still producing another two dozen or so flavors that are only available on the campus. Coffee and black raspberry are among the current crowd pleasers, Hatton says, adding he currently has around three dozen active ice cream recipes to work with, but he's always experimenting with new ones.

Packaging for the ice cream reflects its quality. The generic, rectangular cartons that have held UConn ice cream for decades have been updated to a four-color, oval carton that depicts a view of the campus from Horesbarn Hill and the Jacobson Barn.

The Dairy Bar has been in the same building for decades, however a renovation four years ago replaced its horseshoe-shaped counter, surrounded by stools, with a large bright space containing glass windows and tables. There still are lines on weekends, but there also are some enhancements, including a window where visitors can observe how ice cream is made and an interactive computer display with information about ice cream making. Meanwhile, the wider availability of Dairy Bar ice cream has alumni salivating.

"The Dairy Bar was just a short walk from our dorm," recalls Lois Henrickson '72 (SFA), who visited frequently with classmates during the early 1970s. "With an ice cream cone in hand, we'd walk toward the barns to visit the baby piglets or gaze at the stars from a nearby field. The hard part was picking which flavor to try; they were all so delicious."

So, for those who still recall their first visit to the Dairy Bar, the stroll down memory lane can be rekindled by a visit to the supermarket to pick up a container of UConn ice cream to evoke sweet memories.

Also in a store near you...

	Huskies Dairy Bar ice cream joins a variety of high quality consumable products that have been in stores throughout Connecticut since the early-1990s. Starting with Huskies Tortilla Chips and Huskies Salsa, the line of food products continues to grow with help from Connecticut-based companies, including Munson's Chocolates, Omar Coffee Co., local Coca-Cola bottlers who provide UConn Huskies Water, Guida Dairy, which makes Huskies Pups flavored milk and Shelfspace Marketing, which makes Huskies potato chips.
"The Huskies brand food has been a great way to satisfy the enthusiasm that fans and alumni have for the University and its student athletes," says Tim Tolokan, associate director of athletics for licensing. Proceeds from Huskies food product sales are used for scholarships and other University programs. Many Huskies food products are also sold at Gampel Pavilion and the Hartford Civic Center during UConn basketball games. They will also be sold at Rentschler Field, the new home for UConn football.