Dating back to the 1940s, ice cream drinks have been a staple in supper clubs and cocktail lounges across Wisconsin. Take, for example, the Pink Squirrel, which, legend has it, was invented at Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge in Milwaukee. The beverage kickstarted the state’s sweet and boozy tradition by blending two elements Wisconsin is known for: alcohol and dairy. These drinks connect generations with fresh conversations and nostalgia. Here are seven iconic ice cream drinks you can make from home, perfect to satisfy your Saturday-night sweet tooth.
Pink Squirrel
- 1 ounce crème de noyaux liqueur
- 1 ounce white crème de cacao liqueur
- 3 scoops vanilla ice cream
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a poco glass — which features a tulip-shaped bowl and hourglass stem — and garnish with grated nutmeg.
Wisconsin Grasshopper
- ½ ounce green crème de menthe
- ½ ounce white crème de cacao liqueur
- 3 scoops vanilla ice cream
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a poco glass and garnish with chocolate shavings.
Banana Banshee
- 1 ounces crème de banane liqueur
- ½ ounce white crème de cacao liqueur
- 1 scoop vanilla ice cream
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a hurricane glass and garnish with a banana slice and chocolate drizzle.
Yabba Dabba Do It
- 1 ounce brandy
- ⅓ ounce cherry liqueur
- 2 tablespoons crushed Fruity Pebbles (reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish)
- 4 scoops vanilla ice cream
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a milkshake glass and garnish with whipped cream and crushed Fruity Pebbles.
Frozen Mudslide
- ½ ounce Irish cream liqueur
- ½ ounce Kahlua
- ½ ounce vodka
- 4 scoops vanilla ice cream
Swirl chocolate syrup around a short-stem brandy snifter glass. Combine all alcohol and ice cream in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into prepared glass and garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
Brandy Alexander
- ½ ounce dark crème de cacao liqueur
- ½ ounce brandy
- 3 scoops vanilla ice cream
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a coupe glass — one with a wide, shallow bowl — and garnish with ground nutmeg.
Cloud 9
- 1 ounce Irish cream liqueur
- ½ ounce black raspberry liqueur
- 1 ounce ameretto
- 2 scoops vanilla ice cream
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a martini glass and top with whipped cream.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY LENAH HELMKE