Creamy Blender Cocktails: Perfect!

Ice Cream, Tasty Liqueurs and Some Imagination Make Great Drinks

© Laura Harrison McBride

Sep 26, 2008

While it is true that putting some liquors in the same glass as heavy cream will create a disgusting drink if not done exactly right, it's impossible to have the same separation when you use ice cream. In addition, you won't have to worry about the drink being sweet enough; the ice cream takes care of that.

Non-Drinkers Drinks

Hard-core cocktail aficionados may balk; let them. These are drinks for making and taking out to the pool, or pleasing a friend or relative with a sweet tooth who would like a little drink of some sort, but isn't into the flavor of alcohol. As for measuring, taste is the first consideration, with amount being second. Eyeballing is fine here, as is some preliminary tasting. Nonetheless, here are some winning combinations, taste-tested in Sarasota, Florida, by a group of retirees, over a number of seasons:

Coffee Delight

(For all of the drinks listed here, the amounts given will make one drink that fills a tall glass. Use plastic, preferably thermal, for use around a pool.)

Ingredients:

• Coffee ice cream
• Milk
• Kahlua or other favorite coffee liqueur

Directions:

1. Place two scoops of ice cream in blender.
2. Add a splash of milk, or as much a 1/4 cup, to thin
3. Add one jigger Kahlua (or more, for a bigger buzz)
4. Blend
5. Pour into tall glass (plastic for poolside) and serve.

Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients:

• Vanilla ice cream
• Milk
• Strawberry liqueur

Note: Avoid the Pucker group; the sweet-sour characteristic is very unpleasant. A standard Bols strawberry is fine, but more elegant is an imported fraise des bois-type of liqueur.

1. Place two scoops of ice cream in blender.
2. Add a splash of milk, or as much as 1/4 cup, to thin
3. Add one jigger strawberry liqueur (or more, for a bigger buzz)
4. Blend
5. Pour into tall glass (plastic for poolside) and serve.

Banana Split

This one is particularly attractive those with a sweet tooth...and its updated nostalgia qualities are attractive, too.

Ingredients:

• Banana
• Vanilla ice cream
• Milk
• Chocolate syrup
• Strawberry syrup
• White creme de cacao
• Banana liqueur (optional)
• Whipped cream
• Maraschino cherries

Directions:

1. Cut one-half to one whole banana into small chunks, depending on how much you like banana flavor..
2. Place banana chunks into blender.
3. Add 1/4 cup milk and 2 scoops vanilla ice cream.
4. Blend
5. Add 1 jigger white creme de cacao and 1/2 jigger banana liqueur if desired.
6. Blend briefly.
7. Pour into very large glass or mug (or divide in two, depending on the size of your glasses). Top with whipped cream (homemade or in aerosol can).
8. Drizzle with one or both of the syrups.
9. Top with cherry.

You can thin these recipes more than is done here by using more milk. You can also use ice chips to thin them if you have no milk on hand, or if you want a lighter result.

Using ice cream as a base, experiment with your own combinations. Smooth ice creams - not rocky road or nut-filled types - work best. You might even experiment with seasonal liqueurs, such as melon in summer or anything that makes a Yuletide bright, like "Christmas pudding in a glass."

Any flavor of ice cream can form a cocktail base

You can eat this...or make a liquid banana split

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