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There is less than a month to go before the end of summer and at Tapas we are already feeling nostalgic. To the point of getting melancholic recalling those summer afternoons of yesteryear tasting the trendiest ice creams. Because in the 80s and 90s we lived the golden age of ice cream, with a lot of creations that marked an era and that today continue to triumph among the young and not so young. Who hasn’t tried Frigopie, Colajet, Calippo or Apolos? We take a trip back to those wonderful summers to remember some of the most iconic ice creams of the 80s and 90s, which we are sure you also miss. You’re old, but this old?
Camy
The history of ice cream during the eighties and nineties stops with this mythical brand that left us great products. The company was created in the 1960s under the name of Helados Camay -the slogan they used was also mythical: “Helados Camay, there are no better ones”-. A few years later, the all-powerful Nestlé took over the brand and decided to remove a letter to leave it as Camy. Since then, it lived a golden age in the ice cream world, especially in summer, until the late 90s and early 2000s when Nestlé decided to merge all its brands and market all its ice creams under the name of Helados Nestlé -whose logo was very similar to Camy’s-. Thus, Camy ceased to exist.
During all those decades, Camy left in the retina and palate iconic ice creams that are still sold today. One of its flagships was the ColaJet, a curious proposal of flavors that combined a chocolate tip with one part lemon and one part Coca-Cola.
Among Camy’s ice cream legacy, the incombustible Maxibon also stands out, which has become one of the most consumed ice creams of all times. Another well-remembered ice cream from those years was the Nifti, which was shaped like a ghost’s face. Nor can we forget the classic Camy popsicles in different flavors (lemon, cream, cao, fresh…), the unmistakable Crocanti or the Cortes, another of the emblematic ice cream traditions of the summers of yesteryear.
Although the brand disappeared in 2024, it returned to the limelight in 2020, after the Supreme Court ruled against Nestlé for non-use of the name on a commercial level. ICFC, the brand that once operated as Avidesa -which we will talk about next-, took advantage of the situation, took over the name and gave a second life to Camy ice cream from 2022.
Avidesa
Avidesa is another of those brands that is associated with many people’s summer. The Valencian company had its moment of glory until it was first acquired by Miko, and later by Nestlé -which in turn had absorbed Miko-. In 1997, Nestlé decided to integrate it into Camy and it ended up disappearing. Paradoxically, the initial owners of Avidesa took over the Camy brand again in 2022, relaunching it on the market and including its Apolos in this new era.
Among Avidesa’s milestones we can highlight its iconic Apolos, the ice cream cones with different flavors such as vanilla, cream or chocolate. Its impact was such that many people still call this type of ice cream Apolos. Some of the company’s outstanding ice creams were the Pink Panther or its beloved ice lollies, among others.
Miko
The third brand in question also succumbed to the purchase by Nestlé in 1994. Miko was founded in 1945 by Cantabrian Luis Ortiz, but did so in France under the name Miko Creme Glacé. From 51 it began to operate only as Miko. The brand did not arrive in Spain until the late 70’s, thanks to the company CONELSA. This company opened an ice cream division under this name, with the Ortiz family as shareholders, although the logo was different from that of Miko France.
Miko was another brand that left its mark with great and well-remembered creations, which are still available today in the Nestlé Ice Cream catalog. In 1977, for example, it launched its Patapalos, orange, strawberry or lemon flavored ice creams. They contained Mikopremios in their stick. Undoubtedly, other of its most iconic ice creams were Pirulo, which was launched in 1993. Not forgetting the Mikolápiz or the Fantasmikos, all of which are still available today.
Frigo
One of the brands that led the ice cream sector in the 80’s and 90’s and still has great power today. It has been present in the Spanish market since 1927, although it was not until 1998 that the typical heart in the brand’s logo began to be used in our country. In the 1970s it was absorbed by Unilever.
Many of the ice creams that Frigo has been launching throughout its history have remained in its catalog. One of the most unmistakable products is the Frigo Pie. Although in the early 80s it decided to launch the Frigo Dedo, which represented a hand and had an intense strawberry flavor, in 1983 the brand created the Frigopie, which has undoubtedly become one of the most widely consumed ice creams. This creamy and refreshing strawberry ice cream in the shape of a foot is as beloved by children as it is by adults.
A few years earlier, Frigo had already marketed another legendary ice cream: Dracula, which has also become one of the great Spanish ice cream classics. Its secret is the mix of flavors, with a vanilla interior with strawberry syrup and coated with cola.
Of course, the Mini Milk, the Twistter -launched in 1986-, the Calippo -competitor of the Pirulo and launched in 1984- or the Negrito. The latter also had the Blanquito option, with white chocolate. The brand ended up adding an “n” to make it Negritón and avoid any possible controversy.
Other creations that perhaps did not become great classics were the Frigurón, which emulated a shark, although its essence recently returned but in the form of a flash. Do you also remember the CoraZón, the Boomy or the Strabik?
What did you think of this tour through the most memorable ice creams of the 80s and 90s? The best thing you can do to end this nostalgic moment is to eat some of these gems again.
