Ice Cream Map Debate: Big Dipper Still the Local Favorite

We all know what Big Dipper Ice Cream is. It is one of those Missoula establishments Montanans defend with the same passion they do Griz football. The line down Higgins on a sweaty July night proves it. Big Dipper is more than a dessert. My personal favorite? Huckleberry. That’s Montana in a cone, and it’s worth fighting over.

Read More: Top Local Ice Cream Shops To Visit In Montana This Summer

The Claim

Big Dipper recently posted on social media that they were recognized as one of America’s favorite ice cream brands in a Google Trends report. Just picture it: our little Missoula scoop shop rubbing elbows with Ben & Jerry’s, Tillamook, Turkey Hill, Braum’s, and Blue Bunny. Cue the hometown pride.

The Scoop Gets Sticky

But here’s where it gets melty. The map Big Dipper shared wasn’t exactly the one Visual Capitalist published. That study shows Tillamook as Montana’s best-known brand, not Big Dipper. Somewhere along the way, that cone got dipped in a nice little bucket of Photoshop sprinkles.

Ice Cream Conspiracy or Innocent Silliness?

So, did Big Dipper cook things up? Probably not. But somebody did. Because the map doesn’t line up with the data. But the more I think about it, the more I love it. It feels like the most Montana thing ever. We know Big Dipper should be number one, so why not just manifest it with a scoop and a smile? If it’s wrong, I don’t want to be right.

Big Dipper Remains the People’s Champ

Tillamook might win the Google Trends war, but Big Dipper wins the line-out-the-door war every summer in Missoula. No corporate brand can replace the joy of grabbing a cone after floating the river or handing an out-of-towner their first taste of huckleberry ice cream.

When the ice cream tastes this good, who’s complaining about some map? Pass me another scoop.