ALCOHOLIC ICE CREAM IS A THING!

ALCOHOLIC ICE CREAM IS A THING!   The UPS guy came a knocking and delivered unto me five, count them, FIVE pints of booze ice cream recently! Three flavors of Frozen Pints Craft Beer Ice Cream and two flavors of Ice Cream Bar liquor ice cream, sitting snugly in their little cooler looking all frosty and tempting. @FrozenPints and I had connected on Twitter and they volunteered (when their production caught up with demand) to send me some samples to taste and to use to create some fun cocktails. That was a few weeks ago and I had completely forgotten they were coming, then - BINGO - a booze and ice cream lovers dream!    The five pints arrived perfectly frozen, packed in their own cooler with dry ice. They were still frozen, not a sign of melting anywhere. And I live in Tucson and it's summer! Plus the handled cooler they came packed in is a cool little dividend. Sadly, I had to put them away, hard as it was, because I wanted time to give them a real taste test and to work out some recipes and, at that particular moment, I was immersed in Daiquiri week recipes.  

  BUT, naturally, first I grabbed a spoon and immediately tasted each one, even though it was only 10 a.m. I'm no fool, and who can resist boozy ice cream? I really could have polished a whole pint off then and there, but, sadly, I  had to tuck them in the freezer. Man, that was hard. Yeah, okay, I kept sneaking back for little spoonfuls.   So, a few days later there I was with the (somewhat depleted) Frozen Pints and Ice Cream Bar goodies lined up in front of me and five dishes and spoons at hand ready to give serious attention to each flavor. Can I just say, I love my job?   REVIEW OF FROZEN PINTS & ICE CREAM BAR ICE CREAMS:   Ice Cream Bar BOURBON BUTTER PECAN I made Homemade Toasted Walnut Infused Maple Bourbon and used up my entire first batch pouring it on ice cream so I immediately dug into this one! The first taste you get is the bourbon, which is what you want in bourbon ice cream, but then it mellows as the ice cream melts and the vanilla comes in and kisses your palate. The last burst of flavor is from the chunks of toasted pecans which combine their slight bitterness with the sweetness from the caramel for a really pleasant finish. Best use? Pour in 1 shot of good bourbon, half a shot of cold espresso and a scoop of this into a cocktail shaker with a few ice cubes, shake hard, strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a dusting of espresso powder.   Ice Cream Bar WHITE RUSSIAN Tastes like a really cold, really creamy White Russian. Best use? Grab a spoon.  

  Frozen Pints MALTED MILK CHOCOLATE STOUT Tastes just like a chocolate malt then surprises you with the stout at the end. The malt is at the forefront, nice and creamy and sweet then the sweetness drops down with a little chocolate sliding in, then - bam! - that stout grabs your attention. It's sort of a roller coaster of tastes as you go from one spoonful to the next. Kind of fun. Best Use? Savor with a crisp chocolate wafer cookie or go full tilt boogie and do my Malted Milk Beer Float.   Frozen Pints BROWN ALE CHIP This is the one I'd keep in the fridge all the time. Interestingly enough, I don't like chocolate chip ice creams, the chips are too large and they're so cold from the ice cream you don't get the full richness of the chocolate. Someone over at Frozen Pints is smart, they made the chips small so as the ice cream melted the chocolate started to melt and you got that dark chocolate hit on your tongue. The brown ale here was a nice tang at the end. Best use? Served up as my Chocolate Chip Beer Float!    Frozen Pints PEACH LAMBIC Right off I wasn't in love, probably because I tasted this right after the White Russian Ice Cream, but on my second go 'round I felt like I was eating a very fresh peach sherbet with a twist of bitterness from the Belgian lambic that complemented the sweetness of the peaches and left a little zing on my tongue. Turns out this ended up my favorite of all, especially after adding Raspberry Ale and turning it into a Peach Melba Beer Ice Cream Float. Seriously, one of the best floats ever! Best use? That Peach Melba Float!   Overall I was really impressed with these alcoholic ice creams. Because of the alcohol they never freeze as solid as regular ice cream which is good because ice cream should never be eaten that cold. This means you can dig right in and fully experience the flavors. Interesting enough, they don't seem to melt any faster than non-alcoholic ice cream. The texture is creamy, smooth with no noticeable ice crystals and they're not whipped full of air for volume and, as a result, don't turn to foam in the mouth. (Cheap aerated ice creams are a particular pet peeve of mine.)   

THE FROZEN PINTS ICE CREAM COCKTAILS   CHOCOLATE PORTER BEER FLOAT SHOTS   PEACH MELBA BEER ICE CREAM FLOAT   The REALLY DRUNK BROWN COW Beer Float   I'm not a huge beer drinker and if you would have told me a month ago I'd be not only creating but really enjoying beer ice cream and beer floats I would have looked at you crossways. But I'm a convert. You really can teach an old dog new tricks, especially if you use beer ice cream as a treat! As for the Bourbon and White Russian Ice Creams, all I can say is I'm glad these can't be found at my corner market (yet) or I'd probably end up pulling my fat pants out of storage.   (This is not a monitarily compensated post. I got free ice cream samples and I'm not complaining!)   Updated 8-2018 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY  

PEACH MELBA BEER ICE CREAM FLOAT

Thanks to Frozen Pints it's been a beer float kind of week. Wednesday I posted an off-the-cuff recipe for my Really Drunk Brown Cow Beer Float, yesterday I published two recipes for Chocolate Porter Beer Floats and Float Shots and today I'm sharing a really deadly good beer float using Frozen Pint's Peach Lambic Beer Ice Cream and Samuel Smith's Raspberry Ale.

The whole inspiration is from Auguste Escoffier's famous Peach Melba. This is a classic dessert made with peaches, raspberries  and vanilla ice cream which Escoffier created for the famous Australian opera singer Nellie Melba. Once I tasted the Peach Lambic Ice Cream I knew exactly where I was going with it.
Even if you're not a beer lover you'll love this glass full of peach and raspberry ice cream treat.

PEACH MELBA BEER FLOAT
INGREDIENTS: 2 Scoops Frozen Pints PEACH LAMBIC Ice Cream 1 Bottle of Sam'l Smith RASPBERRY ALE Homemade Raspberry Simple Syrup
GARNISH: 1 Fresh Peach Slice and/or Fresh Raspberries
TOOLS: Pint glass, Ice cream scoop, Straw, Ice cream spoon
DIRECTIONS: Chill your glass in the freezer a few minutes before hand. Pour the Sam'l Smith Raspberry Ale down the side of the glass to keep the head minimal. Scoop out the Peach Lambic Beer Ice Cream and gently slide it into your glass. Slip the peach slice on the rim then pour the raspberry syrup over the floating scoop of ice cream. Add your straw and ENJOY!

Updated 7-2025 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

CHOCOLATE PORTER BEER FLOAT SHOTS

What do you do with some Frozen Pints Craft Beer Ice Cream and a bottle of Hanger 24 Chocolate Porter? You make Chocolate Porter Beer Float Shots!

Frozen Pints sent me several varieties of their Craft Beer Ice Cream, among them was their Brown Ale Chip and their Malted Milk Chocolate Stout and, since beer floats are kind of a thing lately I bought a bottle of Hanger 24 Chocolate Porter and made a duo of Beer Float Shots.

And before you cringe, try them! I'm  not a real beer fan and I loved them both! The Chocolate Chip was my favorite of the two, but I'm really fond of malt balls so that one went down pretty easy too.

Both are really simple, simply delicious and easy to make. The ingredients for each are below and the directions are just below that.

CHOCOLATE CHIP BEER FLOAT

Frozen Pints' BROWN ALE CHIP Ice Cream Hanger 24 Chocolate Porter GARNISH: Cacao Nibs
MALTED MILK BEER FLOAT Frozen Pints' MALTED MILK CHOCOLATE STOUT Ice Cream Hanger 24 Chocolate Porter GARNISH: Chocolate Malt Balls, Crushed
TOOLS: Shooter glasses (or a pint glass for full size float), Melon Baller (or an ice cream scoop for full size ones.)
DIRECTIONS for BOTH: Fill your shooter (or pint glass) HALF full with the Chocolate Porter, pouring down the side of the glass to keep the head minimal. Allow the head to settle for a minute then scoop 2 balls of ice cream with the melon baller (shooter) or the ice cream scoop (full size). Sprinkle on the garnish and enjoy!
If you're looking for an unusual dessert these would be a perfect surprise for guests. Serve them up with some chocolate chip cookies or brownies and you have an easy, unusual adult treat.

Updated 8-2021PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

The REALLY DRUNK BROWN COW Beer Float

I was sent samples from Fernet Branca and Frozen Pints/The Ice Cream Bar and while concocting recipes with both accidentally discovered they worked together like a dream. I put together some beer floats with some chocolate stout for the ice cream post and then, because I still had most of the gynourmous bottle of chocolate stout left, decided to grab the Fernet Branca and a bottle of Sailor Jerry spiced Rum. Hey, I couldn't let that 22 ounce bottle of chocolate stout go to waste, could I?



What I ended up with tasted amazingly like a very boozy chocolate root beer float at the start. It began fairly sweet with a hit of bitter at the sides of the palate but if you added more of the chocolate stout as you drink, which I did, it got more mellow and changed character. The ice cream slowly melts as you add more stout and you end up with a creamy, foam topped chocolate licorice tinged cocktail. You also get to enjoy it longer and appreciate the change from sweet to somewhat bitter as you drink.



The

REALLY DRUNK BROWN COW

Float

INGREDIENTS:

1 Oz Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum

1/2 oz Fernet Branca

1 Oz. Dark Crème de Cacao

Chocolate Stout

1 Large Scoop Frozen Pints Malted Milk Chocolate Stout Ice Cream

GARNISH: Dark chocolate chips

TOOLS: Jigger, Cocktail shaker, Ice Cream scoop, Rocks glass, Straw

DIRECTIONS:

Chill your glass in the freezer.

Add the Fernet, Rum and Crème de Cacao to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until well chilled.

Strain into your chilled glass.

Top off with chocolate stout, gently slide in a big scoop of the ice cream, sprinkle with dark chocolate chips, slide in a straw and ENJOY!

Why do I drop the ice cream in last? Because if you put the ice cream in first it will form ice crystals on the outer layer as the warmer liquids come in contact with it and it will also foam more and create nasty air pockets that make your drink experience less pleasant.

This is a great cocktail for Chocolate Ice Cream Day, which it celebrated every June 7th.

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SLIGHTLY BANANAS, DEFINITELY COCONUTS, CHOCOLATE BOOZY SHAKE

I was all set to make myself a banana and coconut Daiquiri when I discovered I had no limes. You cannot make a Daiquiri without limes, you just can't. You can do a lot of things to a Daiquiri but without limes you can't make one. To say I was upset would be an understatement, and I was ashamed. What self respecting cocktail creator forgets to buy limes?


And don't mention bottled or {{shudder}} powdered sour mixes to me, those chemical bombs are no substitute for fresh limes in a Daiquiri (or any other cocktail.) I haven't had commercial sour mixes in my bar for years. I've been known to batch some fresh homemade sour style mix made with lime or lemon juice and simple syrup when serving a large number of guests, but even then I toss the remainder out after the cocktails are served. Why? Because citrus starts to go down in quality and flavor the minute you cut it open. But no worries there because I HAD NO LIMES!!

So I did what any self respecting, upset woman would do, I grabbed the chocolate and ice cream. Though this cocktail is pretty far removed from a Daiquiri, it still turned out pretty delicious, and the endorphins from the chocolate curbed my bad mood. The booze helped too. Plus, the addition of the Fernet Branca and sea salt kept it from being ruthlessly sweet.

SLIGHTLY BANANAS, DEFINITELY COCONUTS, CHOCOLATE BOOZY SHAKE (Makes 1 - 2 drinks, depending on how upset you are)   INGREDIENTS:
2 Oz. Dark Rum
1-1/2 Oz. White Creme de Cacao
1-1/2 Tsp. Fernet Branca
1 Oz. Cream of Coconut
1/2 Banana
1 Scoop Fudge Ripple Ice Cream
1/4 Tsp. Sea Salt
4 Ice Cubes

GARNISH: Melted chocolate for rim and chocolate decoration(s), 3 (6) banana slices, 3 (6) chocolate dipped coconut flakes

TOOLS: Pastry brush, Parchment paper, Blender, Double rocks glass (or two coupes)

INSTRUCTIONS:
Brush the melted chocolate on your glass rim(s) from the top down then chill glass(es) in the freezer.
With the extra melted chocolate do triple layer brush strokes on the parchment paper to create the chocolate decoration(s) then place in fridge to set up the chocolate.
Add all the cocktail ingredients to your blender and pulse until the ice is blended in and you have a smoothie consistency.
Pour into your chilled glass(es) and place the chocolate brushstroke(s) across the top. Add your 3 (6) banana slices and top those with the chocolate coconut flakes. Sprinkle a little extra sea salt over the top(s) and serve.   Why Fudge Ripple ice cream? Because that's what I had in my freezer!

Not a cocktail for everyone, but if you're craving a little indulgence and are in a snarky enough mood to ignore the calories, pretty satisfying.

   
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ROASTED HATCH CHILE CILANTRO TEQUILA LIQUEUR

This is a pretty detailed post for a Roasted Hatch Chile Tequila recipe but, if you love your heat, stay with me because I'm going to tell you why you can't make this tequila infusion with anything but the real deal, the famous Hatch chiles, the BEST chiles in the world!   Photo Courtesy of Gourmet Delights.com

If you've ever spent any time in New Mexico in fall you will be familiar with the smell and sight of roasting "Hatch" (New Mexico) green chiles. In late summer through early fall, on nearly every street corner, you will encounter a smoking, rolling black canister of New Mexico's famous "state vegetable" perfuming the air. (Yes, technically, chiles are a fruit but don't tell that to N.M. legislators!) When those grated black roasters start popping up you know hatch chile roasting season has arrived and fall is right around the corner. It's New Mexico's version of the pumpkin patch but it brings a lot more heat to the season!


Photo Courtesy of Gourmet Delights.com  
Similar to the familiar Anaheim (which is actually the California child of the New Mexico chile), New Mexico chiles come in a range of heat levels, are green when young and turn red as they ripen. Grown in and around Hatch, New Mexico, Hatch chiles are from the New Mexico No. 9 chile developed by Dr. Fabián Garcia back in 1888 at what is now New Mexico State University (NMSU). While New Mexico chiles are grown throughout the state, the Hatch chile truly comes only from the Hatch area, though the lines have gotten a little blurred over time and the name "hatch" stolen by other chile growers to trade off its culinary caché.

There are a number of varieties and hybrids of the New Mexico and Hatch chiles developed by NMSU's College of Agricultural  including: NuMex Big Jim, NuMex Sandia, NuMex Joe E. Parker  New Mexico 6-4, NuMex Heritage 6-4, NuMex Heritage Big Jim, Barker Extra Hot and NuMex R Naky. Each has it's own flavor and heat level which is then influenced by the soil and growing conditions, but the New Mexico No. 9 is the heritage (heirloom) of them all.

Hatch chiles are a staple of New Mexican cuisine. You'll find them in and on everything everywhere there's food or drink being served in the state. They are so ubiquitous that when you order nearly any dish in New Mexico you are invariably asked, "Red or Green?" meaning red chile sauce or green. The green ones are usually roasted and the red ones are usually dried before they are used in cooking. Supposedly green is milder and red hotter but that all depends on the chile so when in doubt, ask. If you can't decide which sauce you want then you order Christmas and you get both.

I spent quite a few summers in New Mexico doing art shows where  I was exposed to many Hatch chile seasons. Prior to this time I had a somewhat serious reaction to capsicum in chilis, my whole mouth would blister and my palate could go dead for hours, sometimes days.  This made my dining experiences in New Mexico a bit of a hazard for the first few years, but thanks to continued exposure I was able to acclimate my mouth to the heat and even begin to enjoy it. Even though I'm still not going to pop a raw pepper in my mouth, I fell in love with the flavors of roasted chiles, in particular the New Mexico varieties, and started to incorporate them into my food and drink.

When I was bemoaning my lack of true, authentic beloved Hatch chiles last week, Frieda's Produce kindly stepped in and sent me a huge box filled with the sweet and spicy, green lovelies for my cocktail endeavors. I immediately roasted them and put them (some, others are being hoarded for cooking) into tequila!

You'll notice I added honey to my infusion below so, technically, this makes it a "liqueur" and not simply infused liquor. Why did I add honey? Because I did want to use some of my chile tequila for shots and honey will soften the punch of the heat from the chiles. It's not really enough honey to make this very sweet, just enough to cool down the heat. Remember I'm a bit of a wuss when it comes to peppers and these Hatchies were getting pretty close to my pain threshold! Why do you think honey is always served with the sopaipillas as the traditional New Mexican dessert? Because honey will cool the heat from the dinner you just ate!

ROASTED HATCH CHILE CILANTRO TEQUILA LIQUEUR
(Inspired by Frieda's Hatch Chile Tequila)

5 Roasted, Peeled Hatch Chiles
(Roasting instructions below)
1 - 750 ml. Bottle of Añjeo Tequila
3 Sprigs of Fresh Cilantro
Zest of 1/2 Lime
2 Tbsp. Honey

TOOLS: Quart infusion jars, Funnel, Metal Strainer, Cheesecloth

DIRECTIONS:
Combine the roasted Hatch chiles, lime zest and honey with the tequila in one of your quart jars.
Gently squeeze the cilantro to express the oils over the jar then drop the cilantro in.
Allow to infuse for 3, and up to, 5 days, shaking the jar often.
Start taste testing after the second day for level of flavor and heat, the longer it infuses the stronger, and hotter, it becomes. (I did 3 days, I still have that lingering fear of blisters.)
Strain through a cheesecloth lined metal strainer into a clean jar, toss the detritus and enjoy in some of my cocktails below.
Try your newly hatched Roasted Hatch Tequila in my HATCHCHILETA MARGARITA. It's also a great spirit for spicing up some Bloody Marys and could really lend some extra flavor and heat to many of my Mucho Margaritas.

HOME ROASTED HATCH CHILES

First, PUT ON GLOVES!!! I forgot and within 10 minutes of peeling my roasted peppers my hands were burning like hellfire! Don't touch your nose, eyes, or mouth during this process either, just trust me on this. In fact, wear goggles. I wear glasses so I was pretty much covered.
Clean your chiles then place in a single layer on a baking sheet and broil each side just until the skin turns black. Mine took about 12 -15 minutes on the first side at a distance of 4 inches from the broiler. The second side was much quicker. Keep a close watch or your chiles will be mush.
Immediately place the roasted peppers into a plastic bag to steam for 20 minutes. This will make the skin easier to remove.
To peel, grab the chile by the stem and pull it off, this will remove the majority of seeds as well. Then slid the chile between your fingers to push it out of the skin. Discard stem, seeds and skin. Do NOT rinse the chiles or you will remove the flavor oils.
Don't be worried by the small amount of char that might be left in your chili, that's just a flavor enhancement.
Use or freeze, the chiles supposedly get hotter with freezing but I couldn't really tell, they're hot either way to me!

A FEW N.M. CHILE FACTS:

• Chile is the pepper, chili is a stew.
• Those dried red chile wreaths you see hanging from nearly every doorway are called ristras and are a traditional drying method of chiles.
• The drier and hotter the weather, the hotter the chile.
• The official "state question" of New Mexico is "Red or Green?", adopted in 1999.
• Hatch, New Mexico hosts The Hatch Valley Chile Festival on Labor Day weekend every year.

Updated 8-2021PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

HATCHCHILETA MARGARITA, Hatch Chiles, Blood Orange & Cilantro

  Frieda's Produce kindly sent me a nice box of late summer produce and tucked in there were some gorgeous blood oranges along with a bag of beautiful Hatch New Mexico chiles. Right off the bat my mind went straight to some roasted Hatch chile infused tequila that would be just righteous in blood orange margaritas. I turned on my broiler and got to work on the hatch chiles for the infused tequila.

You'll notice the Hatch Chile Cilantro Infused Tequila has honey in the recipe. You'll find out why I added honey as you read the article, but I'm not writing any spoilers here, you'll just have to read the post. Technically adding any sweetener makes it a liqueur, but for this margarita it works just fine as tequila since the honey balances nicely with and brings forward the blood orange.

As for the margarita recipe, here you go. You can thank me by showering me with cash and gifts.   HATCHCHILETA MARGARITA

2 Oz. Hatch Chile Cilantro Infused Tequila Liqueur  2 Oz. Fresh Squeezed Blood Orange Juice
1 Tsp. Agave Syrup (I put in 2 teaspoons, that sweet tooth of mine!)
Juice of 1/2 Fresh Lime*
Ice

GARNISH: 1 Tbsp. Sea Salt with 1/2 teaspoon of La Chinata Smoked Paprika from Gourmet Delights for rim, Blood Orange Peel, Roasted Hatch chile, 2 Sprigs of Cilantro
TOOLS:  One small plate for salt/paprika rim, Rocks (Old Fashioned) glass, Cocktail shaker

DIRECTIONS:
Rub your glass rim with a blood orange slice then dip into the salt/paprika mixture. Chill your glass in the freezer.
Fill your cocktail shaker with ice then add the Hatch chile tequila liqueur, blood orange juice, agave syrup, and lime juice.
Shake until well chilled then strain over ice in your chilled rocks glass.
Garnish with a roasted hatch chile pepper wrapped in a blood orange peel and a sprig of cilantro. Express the oils from a sprig of cilantro onto the top of your margarita and enjoy!

 * USE FRESH LIME JUICE! Did you know that citrus can go bad within 15 minutes of being cut open? It definitely loses a lot of nutrients and flavor. How much more time does it take to cut open a lime and squeeze it as you make your cocktail than twisting the cap off some bottled stuff? Right?

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