A sidekick of the comfort food trend, boozy milkshakes are appearing across a broad range of bars and restaurants, from posh clubs to burger chains. The Powder Room in Hollywood, California, offers the Velvet Goldmine, a $500 concoction made with dark chocolate ganache, cognac, English lavender split black bean Tahitian vanilla ice cream and chocolate caramel fudge, topped with fresh whipped cream and edible 23 carat gold flakes. It includes a Swarovski Crystal Nirvana ring for every customer.
On the more affordable end of the spectrum, Red Robin introduced a $5 beer milkshake in 2011 that’s made with Sam Adams Octoberfest draft, soft serve vanilla ice cream, vanilla syrup and caramel. In March, the chain started selling a Mango Moscato Wine Shake, made with wine, vodka, mango puree and vanilla soft serve at its 480 U.S. locations. According to USA Today, "The shakes, mostly targeting 35-to 49-year-old moms in need of a break, sell for $7.49."
Most customers will want a spiked shake in the single- or double-digit price range, and it’s not difficult to serve them up at a profit. Flavored syrups and liqueurs along with a powerful, easy-to-clean blender can make the shakes less labor-intensive. Consider adding one of these to your menu.
Spiced Clover Shake
(Recipe & photo by Monin)
Ingredients:
1 oz. Monin Spiced Brown Sugar Syrup
3 scoop(s) chocolate ice cream
4 oz. amber beer
Instructions:
Combine ingredients, except ice, in a high performance blender. Fill serving glass with ice and pour into blender. Blend until smooth. Pour blended beverage into 14 oz. serving glass. Garnish.
Bourbon Chocolate Milkshake
Recipe by Ben Johnson, West Egg Café, Atlanta, GA
Ingredients:
2 oz. bourbon
2 oz. chocolate syrup (Monin has several, including a Swiss Chocolate Syrup, Dark Chocolate Syrup, Spicy Chocolate Syrup, and Chocolate Organic Syrup)
1 cup vanilla ice cream
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a high performance blender and blend until smooth. Pour into 16 oz. glass.
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