Earlier this month, Berkey Creamery launched its very first line of dairy-free products. The Creamery is now producing sorbet in two different flavors: cherry and lemon.

Since it’s hard to imagine any of Berkey Creamery’s products without milk, some of our staffers headed down Curtin Road to see if the sorbet came close to the famed ice creams.

Sabrina Knox

I have to admit, I had low expectations for the lemon sorbet. I thought it was going to be a slushy, icy consistency, but somehow the Berkey Creamery developed a creamy sorbet. The lemon flavor is sweetly present, and the sorbet itself tastes like lemonade. The texture is super satisfying and makes for a refreshing treat. 

For a dairy-free frozen dessert, the Berkey Creamery’s lemon sorbet exceeded my expectations, and I would recommend it to any lemon or citrus fan who would like to try something dairy-free.

Haylee Yocum

I have to be honest, I was utterly let down upon walking into the Creamery. I’m not a huge citrus fan and would rank cherry as one of my favorite flavors. To my dismay, Berkey Creamery was only dipping lemon sorbet, not cherry.

Regardless, at that point, I was committed, so I followed through and got the lemon flavor. The sorbet had previously been described as “water ice,” so I was expecting something like what you’d get at Rita’s, but thicker. It’s clear now that whoever came up with that description didn’t even try the sorbet.

In true Berkey Creamery fashion, I was blown away. It’s very obvious you’re not eating ice cream, but it carries the same creaminess that you’d expect from ice cream. Even though it was a little chilly outside, it felt like I was drinking a frozen lemonade under a July sun. Props to the Creamery for opening up my eyes to what I had been missing. But I will be back for cherry at some point.

Jamie Lynch

When the Creamery announced it would release sorbet flavors, I knew I needed to head over and see if the new dairy-free options deserved any hype.

I decided to go with the lemon option for my taste test (they were out of cherry, anyway). Here were some of my initial impressions based on the look: it was pale yellow in color, as you would expect for a lemon-flavored treat. It had small pieces of zest mixed throughout which created a very appealing, non-artificial look. The scoop size, like that of the ice cream served at the Creamery, was massive. Needless to say, I was eager to dive right in and try it.

Let me tell you, it did not disappoint in the slightest. The texture was almost identical to that of ice cream; it was smooth and creamy, even without a dairy element. The lemon taste was strong, and a bit on the sweeter side, but there was a perfect amount of tartness that balanced it out very well.

Fall is the new summer in State College for refreshing desserts. I definitely look forward to going back for more (and trying the cherry flavor as well).

Joe Lister

Let the Creamery cook.

I didn’t enter my sorbet experience with the highest of hopes. While I’ve always had faith in the Berkey Creamery to produce high-quality products, I wasn’t sure how any venture into ~non-cream products~ would go. However, the sorbet was stupendous. Somehow, the dish was still creamy and soft, while maintaining a comfortable texture and flavor. I’m not the biggest fan of sorbet, but the Creamery’s was one of the best I’ve ever had.

I’m not totally sure that I’ll continue to order the sorbet when I go back to the Creamery, but it will definitely be an option. Sometimes Peachy Paterno is just too enticing to turn down.