Rich, refreshing and a classic summertime favorite, the ice cream float loses its innocence.
By Mary Brown Malouf, Photos by Adam Finkle
No one’s knocking root beet floats, but you’ve probably been away from summer camp long enough to crave a more grown-up take on the classic concoction. This season let the kids chase the ice cream truck while you serve easy-to-make spiked floats as the perfect ending to your summertime get-togethers.
Limoncello Dream
Pour one ounce of limoncello and 1/2 ounce of Grand Marnier into a tall glass. Fill the glass with champagne or soda and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. garnish with a lemon slice.
Melba Float
Fill a glass with cold semi-sweet Riesling and add a scoop of raspberry sorbet. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
Carmel Stout
Fill a mug 3/4 full with stout and plop in a scoop of Ben & Jerry’s Triple Carmel Chunk ice cream.
Frozen Pink Mimosa
Use a melon scooper to make tiny balls of blood orange sorbet to float in pink champagne or sparkling wine. Garnish with an orange peel fan.
How to Fix a Float
Cool It: Chill the galssware you’re going ot use. Make certain the beer, wine or soda is well-chilled, too.
Scoop ahead: Scoop your ice cream or sorbet in the morning, or the day before. Put the scoops on plastic wrap and freeze until time to serve. This not only saves time serving, but ensures the ice cream will be firmer and last longer in the glass.
Pour first: Pour the beverage in the first and only fill the glass 3/4 full. Then add the ice cream to minimize foaming and top off with more of the liquid.
Size it up: Choose glassware that suits the spirit and style of the float—flutes for champagne, stems for wines and mugs for beer. Select the right ice cream scoops appropriately sized for the opening and shape of each glass. Have a variety of scoops to choose from, so the ice cream fits the glass.
