Alcohol has long been used as a flavoring in ice cream, but eating a quart of rum raisin never got anyone buzzed.
Until now.
Enter the ice cream “barlour” — an ice cream shop that serves spiked scoops.
From an operator’s perspective, the boozy ice-cream trend is attractive for several reasons. One, the check sizes — $12 to $15 for some popular chains, according to Nation’s Restaurant News. Two, it offers multiple streams of revenue: catering weddings and company parties, selling pints to go, and online ordering/delivery, where local laws allow. Three, alcoholic ice cream melds well with other concepts, such as coffee, milkshakes and dessert cafés.
The first question people ask: “Will this ice cream get me drunk?” The answer is typically no, although a four-ounce serving of 5% ABV ice cream may produce a modest buzz.
