Graeter’s Backstretch Bourbon Cherry Ice Cream takes top honors

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Dairy Foods readers have picked Graeter’s Backstretch Bourbon Cherry over 11 other nominees, a field that ranged from cottage cheese to frozen Greek yogurt to protein pops. Graeter’s took 57 percent of the vote, so this flavor has clearly traveled well beyond Cincinnati and the Derby infield.

This is the second year in a row Graeter’s has won. Skyline Spice Ice Cream took the first-ever Product of the Year award in 2025. Two very different flavors winning back to back points to the process behind them more than to any one recipe.

What’s in this ice cream?

Backstretch Bourbon Cherry was created in collaboration with the Kentucky Derby. This bourbon flavored ice cream starts with a bourbon-kissed base made in Graeter’s 2.5-gallon French Pot process, then gets packed with black cherries and praline pecans. There’s no chocolate in it. The flavor is warm bourbon, dark fruit, and praline pecan. Because French Pot batches are only 2.5 gallons, the bourbon holds up and the cherries stay dense in every scoop.

The flavor nods to the classic Kentucky bourbons known for their rich, decadent taste. Fans who love bourbon, cherry, and pecans together often call it the best bourbon ice cream they’ve tried.