The Hyppo

I will never live this one down. You see, one time I was walking around downtown St. Augustine with the lovely Mrs. Finding Florida and she said something along the lines of "We should go to this place called the Hyppo, they have gourmet popsicles." Now, I don't know about you, but the word popsicle conjures up images of simple flavored sticks of ice. What, were they using POM juice to flavor their ice or something? Suffice to say, I was not receptive to the plan. Fast forward to me actually doing some research on the place and I soon realized how mistaken I had been to blow it off.

The Hyppo does not make your typical popsicle, not by a long stretch. Think of these as more like the most amazing smoothies you can think of, only frozen onto a stick. Apparently they're fashioned after paletas, which are Latin American ice pops made from fresh fruit and spices and can be either cream based or water based. So perhaps it's only our culture that suffers from the prevalence of horrible popsicles.

There are a wide variety of flavors that rage from mild: Straight-Up Strawberry, Peach, and Coconut Coconut (a personal favorite that combines coconut milk and coconut pieces) to wild: Mexican Hot Chocolate (cocoa, cinnamon, and cayenne), Mango Habanero, and another personal favorite, the Elvis Presley (bananas, peanut butter, and honey). The flavors can change daily so don't get your heart too set on getting a particular one before you arrive but, with such variety, there's bound to be something for everyone.

The Hyppo's main store is located in St. Augustine on the road where they got their name: Hypolita Street (in the store front formerly occupied by Claude's Chocolates, who moved over next to the Casa Monica). For the overheated shoppers in Jacksonville, they have a cart that hangs out in various places at the St. John's Town Center. Don't make the same mistake I made and dismiss this place out of hand because of any preconceived notions but do be warned: eating popsicles from the Hyppo may be habit-forming.




The Hyppo

The Hyppo (Historic St. Augustine)
15 Hypolita St.
St. Augustine, FL 32084

The Hyppo Cart (St. Johns Town Center)
4663 River City Drive (approx.)
Jacksonville, FL 32246