When you’re a kid, the sound of the ice cream truck is one of the best parts of the summer. Given the unlikeliness that you still get said summers off into adulthood, a bit of booze blended into a milkshake can make the “aah” feeling that a frozen treat evokes seem even sweeter. You may have lost those months of aimless vacation as a whole darn grown-up, but, as long as you’re empowered to take advantage of a potential buzz, you probably should.
To enhance your milkshake’s ABV, all you really need to do is tip a bit of your preferred spirit over ice cream and milk, then blend. But you still need to keep some things in mind for the best boozy milkshakes. For an optimal outcome, you’ll first need to reconsider your ratios. Liquid on liquid may not result in the shake thickness that you’ve become accustomed to. So, if you’d typically make a regular milkshake with something like two cups of ice cream and half that much milk, you’ll want to reduce the latter by as much liquor as you intend to add. So, if you’re mixing in one shot, you’ll cut the milk by an ounce and a half.
Some super satisfying boozy milkshake combinations
Your primary milkshake ingredient, which is to say the ice cream, will dictate how much of your chosen alcohol variety’s flavor comes through in the finished product. A vanilla shake will likely impart some of a bourbon or a whiskey’s similar notes quite elegantly, for example. A nuanced, but otherwise unadorned chocolate ice cream can do the same. But use an ice cream chock-full of mix-ins, and be advised that, while you’ll still sip the intoxicating effects, you’ll miss out on some potentially interesting flavor combinations.
A coffee ice cream will be just lovely with an anise-forward sambuca, a sweetly nutty amaretto, or plenty of other options that are often served as after dinner drinks. Fruitier ice cream and gelato varieties are excellent with tequila, approximating fun, flavored margaritas. And a smoky mezcal will be a dynamic match for butter pecan. Don’t do anything that would merit detention, but you can also always add whatever liquor is handy into those less artisanal ice cream truck offerings, too.
