Lexington ice cream shop Crank & Boom Craft entered in national “Best Ice Cream in America” tournament

Crank & Boom Craft Ice Cream, a popular shop in Lexington, is competing for a national title in a tournament designed to determine “Best Ice Cream in America,” WKYT reported on July 13. The competition is organized by The64, which runs a bracket-style event meant to narrow down the top ice cream shop in the country.

WKYT’s report said the Lexington shop was selected as a contender alongside other businesses across the United States. The64’s tournament format, as described in the coverage, is intended to pair entries against one another until a winner is named for the “Best Ice Cream in America” distinction.

The Lexington Herald-Leader is cited in the WKYT report as the outlet that previously identified Crank & Boom Craft Ice Cream as part of the field. The attention is local for the Lexington business, but the effort is positioned as a nationwide competition that draws consumers’ interest beyond Kentucky.

For local customers, the tournament adds a recognizable national spotlight to a neighborhood business. Ice cream shops can be heavily dependent on word-of-mouth and repeat visits, and national-style rankings can influence how customers decide where to go and what to try next within the same region.

The competition’s purpose, according to the way it is described in the reporting, is to pick the “best” ice cream shop in America through a structured matchup process. While the WKYT account does not describe additional operational changes at the Lexington location, the shop’s participation indicates that it will be part of the tournament’s ongoing public-facing engagement.

As the tournament proceeds, the next public milestones will depend on The64’s bracket schedule and process for advancing entries, which WKYT did not detail in its July 13 summary. The Lexington shop’s presence means it will remain part of the tournament conversation as matches are updated and the field is narrowed.

The64’s “Best Ice Cream in America” tournament is separate from formal industry rankings or government determinations, and it is best understood as a consumer-facing contest. Still, for a Kentucky business, the exposure can be meaningful, particularly as residents weigh out-of-state comparisons against local favorites.