Guinness and Ice Cream Recipe

The Country Cooking of Ireland | Chronicle, 2009

I first heard of this surprisingly appealing concoction–sort of a root beer float for grown-ups–from my friend Belle Casares, née Holahan, a granddaughter of Irish-American writer John O’Hara, who was in turn descended from the Anglo-Norman Franeys of County Laois.–Colman Andrews

LC Let's Get To It! Note

Enough of this genius concoction’s provenance. We’re more intrigued by the art of it all. As in, the patient pour, the perfect melding of bitter and sweet, the ideal glass-to-lips delivery system. Ready? First, pour slowly. Second, rumor has it that any stout will do, as will other flavors of ice cream, among them coffee, mocha, and chocolate. Finally, we have a hunch that any approach you can muster, whether a straw, spoon, even a barehanded approach to the glass, will suffice. Let us know how it goes.

Hands-On Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 5 minutes | Serves 2 (maybe)

Want it? Click it.

Ingredients

1 pint good-quality vanilla ice cream, softened but not melted
1 bottle Guinness Stout

Directions

1. Divide the ice cream between 2 tall, ice-cold, wide-mouthed glasses, soda fountain glasses, or beer mugs.
2. Divide the Guinness equally between the two glasses, pouring it very slowly over the ice cream. Wait a little for the foam to subside, then pour in the rest of the beer. Stir gently.

Hungry for more? Chow down on these:

Bubble Gum Vodka Ice Cream Float from A Cozy Kitchen
Coffee Brandy Ice Cream Float from Cucina Panzano
Black Cow from Leite's Culinaria
Mexican Chocolate Shake with Chipotle and Almond from Leite's Culinaria