The History Of The Penny Licks Glass

Before cones were invented, 19th Century street vendors would scoop their ice cream into one of these little glass cups - called a 'penny lick', as they cost a penny. Imagine the vendors pushing their ice cream stalls through the streets, hollering 'penny licks' and ringing their bells. Customers would rush out to buy their ice cream, paying a penny for the privilege. The era of the penny lick came to an end, however, when it was discovered that sharing the glasses was a way to spread typhoid or cholera. 

The penny lick loosely inspired the name of our business. And we like that it sounds a bit naughty, too. We chose it because it is an obscure phrase that is not widely known. We don't sell the glasses or serve our ice cream in them. We don't use the words to refer to the glass itself in a generic sense or sell our ice cream for one penny. You won't find an image of the glass in our branding and logos.