Nina's Sweet Shoppe

Nina's has operated on Canada Street in Lake George since 1956, and its caramel corn is still made from the shop's original recipe from that year — a nearly seventy-year run without a recipe change, by the company's own account. Rather than making its own base ice cream, Nina's sources from two established regional creameries, describing itself as pairing "Gifford's of Maine & Perry's of New York — two legendary creameries, one legendary shop on Canada Street," which the shop turns into more than 35 daily flavors alongside frozen custard made fresh in-house. Frozen custard is a narrower category than soft-serve or hard ice cream, and Nina's states it is the only shop in Lake George offering it, distinguishing the counter from the town's other ice cream stops. The signature ice cream sandwich pairs two soft cookies with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon, with a strawberry version singled out as the shop's classic. Beyond frozen desserts, Nina's makes hand-cut fudge, truffles, and chocolates in small batches on-site, and pours espresso and bakes its own donuts and cookies — a wider bakery-and-confectionery operation built around the frozen custard and ice cream counter rather than a single-product stand. The shop states it has been "voted best ice cream in the village," a locally sourced distinction rather than a national award.