“There’s Absolutely Nothing Like It”: St. Lawrence Debuts Pub Cookie Crunch Ice Cream
A new limited-edition Stewart’s Ice Cream flavor with sweet St. Lawrence ties is making its debut in the North Country—and it’s already a fan favorite.
Pub Cookie Crunch, inspired by the University’s legendary chocolate chip “pub cookie,” was unveiled at a packed Appleton Arena during the Route 11 Rivalry men’s hockey game. At the game—which was made sweeter by the Saints winning 5-2—the Laurentian Engagement team served up free scoops of Pub Cookie Crunch, a temporarily rebranded version of Stewart’s classic cookie dough ice cream.
The flavor name was selected by Stewart’s President and SLU alum Gary Dake ’82, who visited campus in December to hear pitches from students participating in a campus-wide contest. Connor Simons ’28 made the winning pitch.
“I was sitting in class, and saw the email asking for submissions, so I started thinking of SLU-themed desserts, and the first thing that came to mind seemed so obvious—the pub cookie,” Connor said.
Connor said his family shared his excitement about his winning pitch. “I knew my grandma and mom would be ecstatic if I won because Stewart’s has been a big part of my family for a while. We even did Sunday sundaes growing up.”
Even for students who didn’t grow up near a Stewart’s, the shop has helped make the North Country feel like home to many Laurentians.
“What Stewart’s has done for the North Country is bring a sense of community, and we appreciate what that has done for the University,” said Assistant Vice President for University Advancement, Laurentian Engagement, and Annual Giving Joe Keniston ’05, who helped serve scoops of Pub Cookie Crunch at the game.
The ice cream—which was topped with crumbled pub cookies and served in a miniature St. Lawrence men’s hockey themed helmet—deliciously honors the Scarlet & Brown, Stewart’s Shops, and made the Route 11 Rivalry even more rewarding, Keniston said.
“The Route 11 Rivalry is unlike any other in college sports, and this ice cream is a great way to celebrate it,” he added.
The students at the game couldn’t agree more. “There’s no other stadium in the country that can beat the atmosphere at Appleton, especially when we play Clarkson,” said Griffin Roeder ’26 and Kyle Gaffney ’28. They loved Pub Cookie Crunch and the helmet it was served in, and said they go to Stewart’s all the time. “It’s our lifeline,” they both said.
Even Clarkson fans couldn’t help but enjoy themselves. “It was a great surprise to walk into the arena and be offered free ice cream, especially from Stewart’s which everyone loves,” said Joseph Campo, a senior at Clarkson who plays saxophone in the pep band. “Even as a Clarkson student it’s always fun to come to Appleton,” he added.
Sophia Thomas ’26 gave Pub Cookie Crunch a “10 out of 10,” and said of the Route 11 Rivalry: “There’s absolutely nothing like it, my friend. There’s nothing like being a St. Lawrence student, especially at a rivalry game when the barn is packed.”
Pub Cookie Crunch is now available for a limited time at Canton’s two Stewart’s Shops.
