Is the Barclays Center the last place to buy Ample Hills ice cream (in single servings)? Birthday Swishes: Home Court is enjoyably chocolate-y, though still too sweet

At the end of November, as I wrote 12/4/22, the Brooklyn Nets and Brooklyn-born (but, more recently, Oregon-owned, after the founders' bankruptcy) announced a collaboration on Birthday Swishes, two new flavors honoring the Nets' decade in Brooklyn.

Photos/Norman Oder

My evaluation of the Birthday Swishes: Away Game, containing white birthday cake ice cream with chocolate frosting swirls, housemade chocolate cake batter bites and anniversary sprinkles, was that it was way too sweet. (But it was free, so you couldn't beat the price.)

Second taste test

On 1/15/23, when I was at the Barclays Center for a Nets game, I tried Birthday Swishes: Home Court Advantage, which is sold exclusively at the arena in single serve (4 oz.) cups, featuring dark chocolate cake ice cream (a reference to the team's black uniforms) with white frosting swirls and black, white and silver sprinkles.

Again, it was way too sweet--the sprinkles don't help-- but the chocolate flavor was excellent, so overall it wasn't as cloying as the Away Game flavor. (Still, it's probably better to share such rich ice cream.)

And at $5.50 (plus tax), the price was competitive with Ample Hills's own pricing and cheaper than most things at Barclays, including that $7 water, as shown in the photo at left.

That said, I'd note that the ice cream was frozen solid, and it took a while for it to reach the consistency that could allow use of the supplied plastic spoon.

Ample Hills in trouble

Barely three weeks after the partnership was announced, Ample Hills on 12/19/22 announced it would be "shutting down operations for at least a week, effective immediately. This action is required while the company seeks the additional investment capital required for it to continue operations."

That message said there was "no assurance" that the money would be found and, indeed, the chain's troubles seem to have mounted. Patch reported that the Park Slope location was in arrears for $113,000 in rent, which is a significant hurdle.

So, ironically enough, perhaps the only place in Brooklyn to get single-serving ice cream from Ample Hills--there may still be pints in stores--is the arena.

“Since day one Barclays Center and the Brooklyn Nets have been focused on spotlighting local businesses,” said Andrew Karson, Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing, Strategy and Solutions at BSE Global, parent company of the Nets and Barclays Center, in the original press release. 

This spotlight, perhaps, won't last too long.