A Louisville man is making magic in the party scene with liquid nitrogen and cocktails
Like food, science is an exchange of joy.
At least so says chemist and educator Jerald Smith, perhaps better known around Louisville as the NICE cream guy. That is if you're lucky enough to have been at one of his events.
No matter your age, no matter how avowed of an "I hate science" person you might be (says the writer who dropped every 'hard' science class she ever attempted), it's impossible to watch Smith at work without a massive grin on your face.
A chemist by training, Smith has parlayed his studies at the University of Louisville — where he was a [Bill] Gates Millennium Scholar at the Speed School of Engineering — and passion for igniting a love for science into a starring role at parties around Louisville.
In a brilliant move, he disrupted the tired old birthday party as we know it.
Turning his scientific observations to birthday parties, he took note that people were apt to just stand around, says Smith. And then there was the cake. There was always cake, he says, but "half the time it wasn’t eaten." He also observed the lackluster cups of ice cream passed around almost as an afterthought, wolfed down in a matter of seconds.
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What if the creation of the ice cream became part of the party itself, he wondered. And NICE Cream was born.
Smith, who grew up in Lexington, was raised by his family to be curious and self-aware, he says, to question what he wanted and liked to do. Though his stature ("I’m a big guy," he says with a laugh) in a basketball-driven state like Kentucky may have pushed him toward athletics, he says, "I got into band instead of sports."
And that was where his science mind sparked, he explains "because I was able to equate music with science. When I see chemistry," says Smith, "I see colors. When I see chemistry, I see movement, kind of like a ballet."
Following graduation from U of L, Smith launched a career in the science side of the bourbon industry. But he moonlighted in educational events for kids; think afterschool programs and visitor experiences at the Kentucky Science Center, 727 W. Main St., where he delighted in creating excitement around chemistry and science.
A supervisor noticed that passion and encouraged him to pursue it. Smith didn't need much urging, and before long, his white lab coat, giant smile, and smoking ice cream and cocktails became a fixture at parties around Louisville.
Our good friends Jonathan Klunk and Justin Reid, through their Six Degrees Real Estate business, tapped Smith to bring his show to a joint party for my husband and myself (our birthdays are a day apart!). Our goal? Recreate the famed dessert table our friend group had experienced at Alinea in Chicago. We supplied the table and the toppings, Smith brought the magic in the form of science.
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Never have I seen a group of adult human beings so giddy as they gathered around the table. We’d covered it with a large piece of glass, then provided an array of wild toppings ranging from birthday cake granola and whoppers to confetti waffles and boba bubbles. Smith set up his lab right there in our dining room and in exuberant mad scientist form, dazzled us with his liquid nitrogen ice cream that went directly onto the table for a communal deconstructed sundae.
Alinea can keep their Michelin stars — this was way more fun. So much fun, in fact, that we decided to take it to next level with bourbon-infused ice cream. Bourbon snobs may not approve but as I looked around the room full of laughing friends, I can’t think of a better use for that bottle of Maker’s Mark FAE-01.
And Smith was having at least as much fun as the rest of us. Recent discussion about the state of dining today, as much-lauded Noma in Copenhagen announced its coming closure, has created some necessary conversation about the importance of joy in the industry. Not just for those of us eating, writers have pointed out, but those creating the dining experiences as well.
It's clear Smith has found his joy. Whether it's sparking the excitement in an elementary school kid who goes from "I hate science" to "I want to be a scientist" with a cloud of liquid nitrogen smoke, or handing over a smoking cocktail bound by the laws of nature to remain cold and not dilute to a reveler at party, "I love it," he says. "I love it. I love it even more when I see other people love it. It’s like I told you. It's an exchange. It’s an exchange of joy."
Soon it will be possible to enjoy his creations one cone at a time when his brick-and-mortar NICE Cream shop opens among the offerings at Our Place at Ben Washer Park in Limerick (between downtown and Old Louisville). Stay tuned to his social media channels (instagram.com/nicecreamllc/) for more details.
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What to know about NICE Cream in Louisville
WHAT: S.T.E.A.M. Chemist Jerald Smith runs NICE Cream and is available for liquid nitrogen ice cream and cocktail parties for all ages.
COST: Children’s birthday parties start at $400 including a science show and ice cream creation; a "high-impact" version that features hands-on activities and "finale explosions" are $550. Adult parties that can include cocktail creation begin at $750.
CONTACT: jhsmit04@yahoo.com.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: NICE Cream liquid nitrogen ice cream and cocktail company Louisville
