San Mateo resident Jason “Jolly” Herrick worked for about 25 years as a software engineer before deciding to pursue another path: starting his own ice cream shop.

After attending a weeklong training in South Carolina specifically for people looking to open ice cream businesses, he says, he decided to try it out, and he and Vanessa “Essie” Greene, his wife and co-owner, began to develop a range of flavors. They wanted to see if they could develop a whole menu based on teas, and it wasn’t long before they realized there were plenty of flavors to work with.

They launched a food truck and spent about six years running their ice cream truck before finally opening the brick-and-mortar location of Jolly Old Fashioned Teas Cream in September.

The ice cream shop is in an old Belmont building that’s been standing since 1910 — and was previously home to an ice cream and candy store, Herrick said.

Its name is inspired by Herrick’s childhood nickname — not because he’s particularly jolly, he says, but because he was one of two Jasons in his friend group, and his brother came up with it. Jolly did, however, seem like a perfect name for an ice cream shop, so it stuck.

So far, the most popular ice cream flavors are chocolate smoke, made with lapsang suchong tea, and rose pistachio, he says.

Another popular option is the tea, biscuits and jam, blending Ceylon tea ice cream with house-made shortbread and raspberry sauce. Meanwhile, Herrick’s personal favorite flavors are the orange cardamom chai flavor and the southern sweet tea with lemon sorbet offering, which tastes like a frozen Arnold Palmer, he says. With the colder season on the way, the shop is also planning to start offering a tea service in a couple of weeks.

Details: Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sundays at 1110 Old County Road in Belmont; jollysteascream.com/belmont

Oakland launches its first Cocktail Week with drink specials, bites

A butternut-squash Old Fashioned? Highballs for $7, and something dangerous called “Lunch Cocktails”? These are some of the tipples featured during this month’s first-ever Cocktail Week in Oakland.

Running through Nov. 23 — in what hopefully will become an annual tradition — the event gathers a dozen restaurants and bars all serving special drinks and snacks.

It’s put on by Savor Oakland, the brand behind the Oakland Restaurant Collective, which toasts on Instagram: “Raise a glass and celebrate the creativity and flavor of Oakland’s vibrant cocktail scene!”

The 11-day fest should have something to appeal to most drinkers, whether it be an avocado margarita or multiple variations of the espresso martini.

The full list of participating establishments and their specials are posted at Savor Oakland (savoroakland.org/events/oakland-cocktail-week), but here is a sampling of what’s on tap:

Mago: a Macha Borracha cocktail paired with pumpkin anticucho skewers with chilies and yuzu

Acre Kitchen and Bar: $8 martinis for happy hour (4-6 p.m. daily)

The Caffe by Mr. Espresso: Starting Nov. 1, various chefs and bartenders will mix their own takes on the espresso martini, with the winner-by-vote announced during Cocktail Week.

The Athletic Club Oakland: All cocktails are $5 off from 4-6 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Mushin Social Club: Avocado margaritas for $10 and limited-offer highballs for $7.

Night Heron: Craft cocktails are $10 during happy hour, 5-7 p.m. Tuesday-Friday.

Details: Cocktail Week in Oakland runs through Nov. 23; for details visit savoroakland.org

Send restaurant news tips to Linda Zavoral at lzavoral@bayareanewsgroup.com, Kate Bradshaw at kbradshaw@bayareanewsgroup.com, John Metcalfe at jmetcalfe@bayareanewsgroup.com or Jason Mastrodonato at jmastrodonato@bayareanewsgroup.com.