Graeter’s Ice Cream wins 2026 Dairy Foods Product of the Year

Graeter’s Ice Cream has been named the 2026 Dairy Foods Product of the Year for its Backstretch Bourbon Cherry flavor. This marks the second consecutive year the Cincinnati-based company has won the title, following its 2025 victory with Skyline Spice Ice Cream.

The winning flavor, Backstretch Bourbon Cherry, was developed in collaboration with Churchill Downs. It features a bourbon-infused base blended with black cherries and pralines, designed to reflect the tradition of the Kentucky Derby. The product is an officially licensed ice cream of the event.

In the reader voting, Graeter’s secured 57% of the vote among 12 candidates. Other top finishers included Red Barn Creamery Butter in second place, MULU Cottage Cheese in third, Broden Cheese Dips in fourth, and Lifeway Foods Probiotic Kefir Butter in fifth.