ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - It's summer in Florida, so that means it's hot and it's humid. What better way to cool down than with a Hyppo pop?
Earlier this month, the Hyppo Gourmet Ice Pops -- better known as the Hyppo -- celebrated its grand re-opening of The Hyppo Coffee Bar, 1765 Tree Blvd. #5, St. Augustine. Similar to before, it's offering locals its famous fruity popsicles, but it is also giving them a new hangout that also serves pastries, coffee, teas, beers and wines from local suppliers.
"It's different than what we have done in the past," said Kyle Whalen, the production manager. "It's a nice fun place to relax that our community can come and hang out."
Hyppo popsicles are generally described as flavorful, tasty and vibrant, which are sure to cool you down from Florida's uncomfortable heat.
The company is also best known for offering a wide array of eccentric flavors, many you likely wouldn't think of pairing together, such as strawberry datil pepper, blackberry goat cheese and pineapple cilantro.
"It's a lot of fun," Whalen said. "We do a lot of creative sort of eccentric flavors ... we're always trying new things and expanding, and it's always fun to be a part of."
8 years, more than 300 flavors
The Hyppo got its start in 2010 in Downtown St. Augustine on Hypolita Street and since then, the company expanded into 14 different shops throughout Florida, including Jacksonville, Gainesville, Tampa and a newly opened location in Fort Lauderdale. It also has wholesale "pop peddlers" in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, Connecticut and Virginia. (Click here to find their locations.)
"It's neat to see it come from a small little shop in Downtown St. Augustine," Whalen said. "We still make all of our ice pops here in St. Augustine."
Whalen said right from the start, the owner, Stephen Dimari brought on eccentric pairings, the first being cucumber jalepeño.
"Right off the bat, we were already thinking, 'let's stretch the limits of ice pops and get creative with these things,'" Whalen said.
Since opening, its stores have seen over 300 different flavors made of fresh fruit and a wide array of ingredients like peppers, herbs, spices, dairy products and some sugar-free products.
"As we bring different fruits in, we try to think what's the best way to try and accentuate the fruits," Whalen said. "We have all this fun and delicious fruits. We think, let's make a regular one and then we'll also try and see what works best with (the fruit) and what are other ways we can kick it up a notch."
Whalen used their blackberry goat cheese popsicle as an example. He said during the creation process, the team started off thinking of how jam is usually mixed with goat cheese.
"We thought our blackberry recipe is like a jam, why don't we put goat cheese and see how it goes," he said. "We tried it, and it works."
Whalen said not all flavors work all of the time, but they do their best to compliment and accentuate the fruits.
Another example he used was their popular strawberry basil flavored pop. He said strawberries and basil tend to go together in the culinary world, so it only made sense to blend them together into one popsicle.
"Turns out, they're amazing," he laughed.
Overall, Whalen said their ice pops are fun and joyous.
"It brings people back to their childhood, but it's also more attractive for adults because of the ingredients," he said.
The future
Whalen said that despite the Hyppo opening in Fort Lauderdale, the company is continuing to look and expand in Florida.
"We're trying to stay in Florida for now, hit all of the major cities (like the Orlando market or South Florida), then we'll look to expand outside if we can," he said.
Q&A
What are your prices?
- Popsicles - $3.75 plus tax
- Kid popsicles (in strawberry and chocolate) - $2.75 plus tax
Flavors: Whalen said the popsicle flavors that are available in-store vary depending on the season. Currently, there are 27 flavors available throughout its shops, including:
- Blackberry Goat Cheese
- Chocolate Sea Salt
- Key Lime
- Pineapple Cilantro
- Strawberry/Strawberry Basil/Strawberry Datil
- Watermelon Hibiscus
In total, Hyppo has listed that it created more than 300 different flavors over the years. You can see the full list here.
Where: The Hyppo Coffee Bar, 1765 Tree Blvd. #5, St. Augustine, 32084
Hours: Monday to Sunday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The Hyppo has 14 different locations. Click here to view them all.