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While no one can definitively say who invented the ice cream cocktail, it’s certain that the mix was perfected in the magical land of dairy and drinking culture: Wisconsin.
It makes sense that the same geographic space that brought us supper clubs and squeaky-fresh cheese curds would also fine-tune the art of placing alcohol in frozen, sweetened milk. Those drinks became a hallmark of 1950s-era dining, a popular way to extend an evening out during the era of rural supper clubs and Saturday night prime rib specials.
The ice cream cocktail came into the modern era, at least in the Twin Cities, in the 2000s thanks to Town Talk Diner in Minneapolis. The historic Lake Street diner used its setting to buzz up ice cream and alcohol, all while heralding the rise of the craft cocktail movement.
Ice cream drinks are on the rise once again, just in time for the spring thaw. Whether dipping into a supper club that hearkens back to rural Wisconsin classics, or a modern pub with a soft-serve machine and endless ideas, now is the perfect time to slurp and see why these drinks continue to capture the imagination.
Ice cream cocktails “are definitely a way to finish a meal,” says Graham Herceg, bartender at Creekside Supper Club in Minneapolis. “Not to say you can’t start that way.”
Creekside Supper Club
4820 Chicago Av., Mpls., 612-354-3675, creeksidemn.com
The reimagined supper club has a dessert drink menu straight out of the 1960s with Grasshoppers, Pink Squirrels and Golden Cadillacs. The
Golden Cadillac ($8) is a mix of cream, créme de cocoa and Galliano — a sweet, herbal spirit that hasn’t gotten a lot of play behind bars for quite some time. The result is a creamy chocolate-flavored drink with just a little hit of anise flavor to balance the sweetness.
The Lexington
1096 Grand Av., St. Paul, 651-289-4990, thelexmn.com
The historic restaurant opened in 1935, and many touches of old school elegance remain. Behind the bar, Andrew Pickar loves whipping up these classics. “It’s exciting to see the renaissance of these drinks that are coming back into fashion,” he says. The restaurant serves a Grasshopper, Pink Squirrel, Brandy Alexander and Golden Cadillac, all inside giant brandy snifters ($12-$14). How to choose? Don’t. Pickar suggests bringing a group of friends with a plan to share.
East Side Bar
858 Payne Av., St. Paul, 651-348-8450, esbstp.com
This cozy neighborhood pub digs into the creamy craft of building ice cream drinks, but its twist is more in good fun than hewing to the traditional drinks. The milkshake machine gets a serious workout with adult offerings that lean into dessert, like the PB&B ($9) made with peanut butter-flavored whiskey. Or the Hipshaker ($9), a mix of dark rum, créme de cacao and vanilla soft serve that is a carry-over from the previous restaurant to occupy this address, Ward 6.
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