Find a locally owned ice cream parlor, and asked for a hand-packed half gallon.
But at those kinds of quantities, their prices are 50% more than the higher-end store brand at the store that's near my house. The hand-packed treatment then literally doubles that price. We're now at 300% cost and we haven't factored travel expense yet.
Besides, if I kept their ice cream at home, then I think that would tend to lessen my enjoyment of sitting down and enjoying a proper sundae at their shop -- and that's not something I wish to ever diminish in any way. :)
I could be wrong, but I'd bet that my local ice cream parlours would decline that request - unless you can show that you're e.g. a restaurant and can commit to a certain order frequency, they're just going to tell you to buy as many 19oz "pints" as you need for $40/4. (A discount over $12/each.)
They're even happy to package it with dry ice and ship it internationally. They've offered this service for as long as I've been aware of the world around me (several decades, so far).
They make the ice cream in-house just as they have always done, and they offer these services to anybody.
And while this ice cream place that I'm familiar with certainly does charge plenty, I've got to ask: What's wrong with your own ice cream place, my dude?
Upside, they stock very good quality ice cream. And their prices are about the lowest in town.
So you got me curious enough to try to call up my three local ice cream places.
Spot 1: No phone number on either Google Maps or their website.
Spot 2: This was the spot I had in mind with my previous comment - indeed, they do not sell by any quantity larger than 473ml pints (I typo'd previous comment - 16oz, not 19oz pints.)
Spot 3: Happy to report that they will sell by the 3 gal bucket (or half bucket) for $150/$75, respectively.
re: Spot #2 and your "what's wrong with" question - this is a trendy place that opened about a decade ago, and I expect they're just not interested in taking lower margins or complicating their offerings - it's simply "take it or leave it" on their pints.
