When thoughts turn to a cold frosty one, most think of a beer, but to Donna Ruch, master mixologist at the Red Robin Gourmet Burgers restaurant chain it could mean a beer spiked milkshake. The new concoction was launched this week to commemorate Oktoberfest along with several other items themed for the yearly German festival that celebrates everything beer.
In a story on the Fox News website, Ruch says, “Nothing says Oktoberfest better than a beer, so I incorporated the fun spirit of Red Robin into this innovative milkshake.” The milkshake is a mixture of Samuel Adams Octoberfest beer, vanilla ice cream, vanilla syrup, and caramel sauce.
Other Oktoberfest-themed dishes from the chain include pretzel bites with beer cheese and beer mustard and an Oktoberfest Burger served on a pretzel bun with beer mustard, Swiss cheese, onions, ham, and lettuce.
But, Red Robin’s shake is not the only foray beer has made into ice cream. In 2006 ice cream wizards Ben and Jerry’s introduced a flavor named Black & Tan and based on the beer drink of the same name. The flavor combined non-alcoholic cream stout, swirled with chocolate ice cream, and topped with a foamy stout ice cream head. The flavor was pulled after it was discovered Irish-Americans found the name offensive because it was shared by a group of British ex-servicemen renowned for their brutality during the Irish War of Independence.
Another Ben & Jerry’s flavor, Duff & D’oh!Nuts was produced only for the premier of The Simpsons Movie in 2007. The flavor combined chocolate and cream stout ice cream with chunks of glazed chocolate donuts. It was only available at the premiere on the movie in Springfield, Vt., and in Scoop Shops the night before the DVD release.
Another restaurant chain that serves beer spiked milkshakes is TGI Friday’s. The sweet beer shake uses vanilla ice cream, Guinness Stout, chocolate syrup, and chocolate shavings in its recipe. And movie theater chain Alamo Drafthouse offers a Pecan Porter milkshake that sends some movie patrons to heaven.
Related articles
- Now Blending in L.A.: Wine Milkshakes! (laist.com)
- Spike Your Sweets: Beer Ice Cream Floats (brit.co)
- Red Robin (Yum) now offering milkshakes made with Sam Adams Octoberfest (Yum?) [Interesting] (fark.com)
The ATL Beer Guy 