'Hot' ice cream brings Angier national exposure

Personally, I don't think ice cream that tastes like hot peppers (and has the same effect as eating a hot pepper; one must sign a waiver before eating it) sounds all that appealling. But that hasn't stopped the town of Angier from becoming a "hot" spot, thanks to Scott Wilson's Cold Sweat treat, according to the Dunn Daily Record. In fact, ABC's "Good Morning America" is coming to Angier on July 18 to celebrate National Ice Cream Day.

Unlike his usual sweet confections mixed with fruit flavors or other mouth-watering ingredients, this time Mr. Wilson took his ice cream making to the limit. He combined hot peppers, spices and sauces to form an ice cream experience that is being talked about literally the world over. In an informal interview for a feature story in The Angier Independent last month, Mr. Wilson described his latest ice cream adventure as a "personal challenge for people that live in the world of extra hot."Soon after the story about Cold Sweat ice cream was published in The Independent, The Daily Record in Dunn also printed the news about this unusual treat. This was only the beginning of what would soon be a worldwide news event.

Cold Sweat is quickly becoming a household phrase, as Mr. Wilson participates in interviews for radio stations, newspapers and television from major cities across the United States and abroad, including USA Today and MSNBC — even the New York Times has called. Mr. Wilson described his new position in the spotlight as "way out of control.""It's overwhelming in the sense that my mom and pop's ice cream shop has turned into people calling from other countries," he said.

"When you have national and international media focusing on your town, that can only be positive for our business community," Angier Chamber Director Jamie Strickland said. "When little Angier is being talked about across the globe, that's big for a town our size, and I think it's awesome."