LIBATION: Beer Floats
LIQUID TRAVEL DESTINATION: Los Angeles, CA
LEGACY: Growing up in a tiny town in New Mexico of 5,000 people, the major attraction was the A&W Drive In Restaurant for their famous root beer floats in frosted mugs. A visit to Father’s Office in Culver City took me back to those home-town good times as they offer an adult version – beer floats. And this is not just Bud light with any generic ice cream slopped in it.
Father’s Office has a floatologist of sorts that creates house made ice cream flavors to pair with the craft beer of the week. The Belguim Tripel Karmeliet made such a show when poured over the Maple Bourbon ice cream – the bubbles were outrageously fluffy and a novel boozy dessert idea. Yet, there is a science to a really excellent beer float; not only quality and pairing of ingredients but proportions and glass type.
LOWDOWN: If you won’t be in Los Angeles in the near future, try San Fransisco to get your brew-cream float on. At Monk’s Kettle, they take it to a whole new level by using nitrogen-charged whipped-cream canisters to pour the beer to amplify the subtle flavors in the beer.
Or make your own. Here are some tips on mastering floatology.
Beer Ratio to Ice Cream: Because the beer melts the ice cream faster than root beer, start with very solid frozen ice cream and only pour 2 to 4 oz of beer to 1 generous scoop of ice cream.
Type of Beer: From John Henry Bourbon Ale to Lindeman’s Framboise to Dogfish Head Punkin Ale – all would be stellar choices. Go high quality craft beer instead of a simple “Sunday Swiggin” beer.
Flavor of Ice Cream: Again, don’t settle for generic ice cream. Experiment with a local ice cream producer’s unique flavors (my favorite is McConnell’s Ice Cream of Santa Barbara) but avoid ice creams with chunks as floaties do not look appetizing. Or have a Brew-Float party and ask your guests to bring different flavors to play with.
Glass Selection and Prep: Ditch the classic pint and go more exotic as this is quite a showcase dessert for party guests. For the biggest crowd appeal, use a martini glass or tulip glass placed in the freezer an hour before.
Have a beer and ice cream pairing you’d like to share? I’d love to hear them.