Success! The ice cream had a subtle bitterness and went great with the beers we were drinking (brown ale, and American pale ale). The dairy would also cut the heat nicely on a chipotle stout, especially if it was overly spicey, so a stout float with this ice cream would be incredible!
I put about 1/2 oz of vacuum sealed fresh hops in 1/2 cup of cheap vodka for 2 weeks. I then used 1/4 cup of the vodka in a vanilla bourbon ice cream recipe, replacing the bourbon with hoppy vodka. The flavor was subtle, and more of a slight bitterness than a fruity hoppiness, but it was quite good. I used vanilla bean paste in my ice cream, but it may have clouded the hoppy flavor. With all the sugar, you don't need vanilla.
The recipe was basically:
7 egg yolks mixed with 3/4 cup of sugar and a pinch of salt. Whisk a lot to combine.
Bring 3.25 cups of Half n half to a boil, then temper in the eggs (add 1/4 cup of hot cream to egg mixture, mix it, and then add to the hot cream)
I then cooked it for a few minutes until it thickened. I actually overcooked it and it got a little chunky, kinda. I forced it through a wire mesh though and it ended up being fine. Pour it into a bowl and refrigerate for a few hours, before adding it to your ice cream machine. I added the vodka to the cream after it had cooled a bit. It gets mixed in during the ice cream making, so I just poured it in and it sat on top.
A few notes...the ice cream was good, though it may have been more custardy than ice cream. And some of the flavor came from the vodka. So I recommend using more hops for the same amount of liquid. Or perhaps letting it sit for more than 2 weeks. Maybe mine was 3...anyway, more hop flavor will come from more hops, or longer time soaking, I would think.
Another idea would be to cook the vodka, and make a simple syrup. My theory is that the hops will add too much bitterness when cooked, but if you made the extract, and then cooked off some of the alcohol, maybe the flavor would intensify? Maybe not. But you could add sugar and see if you got a hoppy syrup, then add that to the cream, perhaps adding less sugar in the earlier step of the recipe.