In 1984, former President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month. The third Sunday of the month is actually National Ice Cream Day. you don't need to wait until then to chill out. Instead, hit up these five summer cone zones while the news is still hot.

Daily Scoop
A godsend for frozen custard loyalists incapable of making a decision, this unassuming Congress Park storefront makes choosing your favorite flavor as easy as your ABC's. Rather than overtaxing its customers with 31 concoctions, the Daily Scoop only churns out three picks "” period. You can point to chocolate, vanilla or the one coma-inducing flavor of the day, which might be tangerine, tiramisu, coconut or mango. The milkshakes, smooth as silk, are slurpable through a straw, and while the tough-love owner isn't particularly conversational, his frozen custard will send you and your snobbiest ice cream critics straight into nirvana.
3506 E. 12th Ave.; 303.388.3245 | mydailyscoop.com

Dino's Soda Bar
This old-fashioned ice cream parlor, a kid-centric hang-out dating back decades, serves up a dose of retro "” antiquated board games, Formica-topped tables, vinyl booths and glitter-red swivel stools at the counter "” coupled with hand-churned ice cream, sundaes, malts, shakes, egg creams and fresh-squeezed limeade and lemonade. The ice cream flavors rotate daily, and while the usual suspects "” vanilla, chocolate and strawberry "” are typically on show, it's the Snickers caramel swirl and black raspberry chocolate flake that keep us screaming for more. The banana split, crowned with whipped cream, nuts, sprinkles and a cherry is a nostalgic indulgence that still lives on.
2217 E. Mississippi Ave.; 303.777.0414 | dinossodabar.com

Gelazzi
Squarely entrenched in the heart of Larimer Square, this citified gelateria doubles as a temptress for the sophisticated imbibers and late-night revelers who descend en masse for the clever and exotic cocktails concocted with gelato and all manners of alcoholic enhancers, including coconut rum, vodka, champagne, brandy and Cointreau. The mature audience libations are countered by benevolent Italian ice cream sodas, espresso shots bobbing with coffee gelato and whipped cream, fruit gelato smoothies and the "Booty Shake," a duo of gelato flavors that weighs in at less than 100 calories "” just in case you're counting.
1411 Larimer St.; 303.534.5056 | gelazzi.com

Glacier Ice Cream & Gelato
It would take you nearly all summer to sample the 24 flavors of gelato and 32 varieties of ice cream at this quirky emporium decked out with wooden parlor tables and chairs, funky wall art (everything from Audrey Hepburn to Bob Marley prints and Norman Rockwell pieces), games, magazines, puzzles and retro sofas for lounging, all of which makes for a good excuse to wile away the day. The housemade ice creams and gelatos include everything from death by chocolate and key lime pie to alcoholic flavors like raspberry cabernet, pina colada and blueberry zinfandel (sorry, kids, these are strictly adult-themed).
7155 E. Hampden Ave.; 303.300.6661 | glacierhomemadeicecream.com

Nosh Gelato & Sorbetto
It's barely bigger than a kiosk, but the whimsy, bright interior of this Old South Pearl Street frozen treats emporium more than makes up for its petite size with its all-natural, smooth, creamy and thick gelato. The fanciful gelato cakes, crowned with shavings of chocolate and other adornments, like star-shaped waffle cone cut-outs, are superb, as are the flavors themselves. The rainbow-hued roster changes daily, but if the staff is scooping the sensuous raspberry fig mascarpone gelato, then purchase a pint. Take it home or simply grab a spoon and do as the moniker suggests: snatch a seat on the charming patio, strewn with white lights and budding botanicals or near the romantic gazebo and nosh until your brain freezes over.
1439 S. Pearl St., 720.570.7886