Tips To Keep In Mind When Making Boozy Milkshakes, According To A Mixologist

On a hot summer day, a boozy milkshake is an ideal way to cool off and relax, whether you're gathering with friends on the patio or unwinding on a Friday night. However, because a lot of alcohol doesn't freeze and you need to get the flavors just right, it can be a tricky drink to master. Ice cream and booze pairing expert Cody Goldstein, founder of Muddling Memories — a company that specializes in beverage experiences — told Chowhound some of his best tips for making boozy milkshakes.

As part of an event for National Gelato Day, Goldstein worked with Talenti to create the perfect solution for pairing ice cream and booze: Talenti's Dirty Martini Sundae. "We developed a sauce which is a gin-infused honey brine," he said. This is to be poured over the top to offer a boozy and sweet twist on a Dirty Martini but reimagined in a sundae." Tapping into the same expertise and knowledge on ice cream and booze, Goldstein also has some great tips for making boozy milkshakes, including choosing the right spirit and honing in on the milkshake's consistency.

The right alcohol can make or break any recipe, whether it's a nice, smooth old fashioned or a perfect margarita. When it comes to a boozy milkshake, you really need to make sure you get your alcohol and flavors right. Cody Goldstein explained that after using various spirits for milkshakes, he found that the best ones tend to be aged and more rounded in flavor. "Spirits such as rum, whiskey, and cognac tend to find their way in most of our milkshakes," he says. 

Rum is aged in barrels for anywhere from one year to even 10 years or more, whiskey needs to be aged for at least three years, and cognac needs to be aged for at least two years but can be aged for 14 years or more. Aging allows for alcohol to have less of a bite, and it also introduces a more well-rounded flavor. For example, aged spirits can have a caramel or vanilla flavor thanks to the barrels they're aged in. It's no surprise that these flavors pair well with ice cream. Flavored spirits also really allow you to customize your drink and marry the flavor profiles together. For example, this copycat Disney PB&J Milkshake uses peanut butter whiskey to complement the flavors in the shake.

Often, when you buy a milkshake from an ice cream shop, you expect it to be nice and thick. But milkshakes can also have a smoother texture, and that's what you'll often want to shoot for when preparing a boozy milkshake, especially if you take Cody Goldstein's advice. "I think whenever you are enjoying a milkshake, you are open to the idea that it may not be thick and will have more of a silkiness to it," he says.

Not only does Goldstein take the ice cream's consistency into account, but he also considers what ingredients he can combine to make the dessert rich and creamy — and he suggests gelato as a perfect base. Gelato doesn't use as much cream as ice cream, and it doesn't typically include egg yolks, either. This, combined with its slower churning rate and warmer temperature, creates that silkier texture. Paired with an aged spirit, perhaps with a note of vanilla or caramel, you have yourself a delicious boozy milkshake.