Choose Your Bourbon Carefully When Boozing Up A Milkshake

A quick splash of booze can turn an innocent milkshake recipe into a treat meant for adults, but the move needs to be a strategic one for the tastiest impact. While it might be tempting to reach for whatever bourbon is closest to your blender, thinking through which punchy addition you are going to pour into your creamy old-fashioned vanilla milkshake recipe can make or break the decision to turn your recipe into an alcoholic one. While plenty of bourbons can make a smart addition to a creamy milkshake, a carefully chosen label can bring subtle undertones to your drink while keeping the overall flavor profile balanced and delightful. 

When matching ice cream flavors to bourbon varieties, consider the overall effect that each flavor will build as they play in your glass. Bourbons can offer layers of spice, toffee, and almonds in a single sip, and some bottles can pack palates of salty butterscotch and fresh figs. The caramel pours of Maker's Mark and toasted notes of Four Roses can be the perfect complement that your homemade caramel and chocolate milkshakes call for. Meanwhile, a smooth, oaky Bulleit can bring out the nuttier scoops found in a pint of Ben & Jerry's peanut butter ice cream. 

It will be hard to wait until 5 o'clock to drink these bourbon milkshakes

Should your sweet cravings steer you into a fruitier milkshake-making lane, your cold and creamy raspberry and strawberry inclinations may be best served by some of the softer bourbon flavor profiles. Bourbons that offer complimentary notes of fruit and spice can hold up well to the task, like Coopers' Craft, or try a splash of a creamier label from Buffalo Trace. 

Feeling a bit more minty fresh? A bold Woodford Reserve can supply an oaky balance to crisp dessert drinks, and bourbons that deliver notes of biscuits or cereal like Bookers are always a safe bet for your ice cream creations. Topped with whipped cream and your choice of chocolate or caramel syrup, your taste buds are in for an incredible treat. With so many possible flavor varieties ready to be explored, once you start honing in on the more nuanced tasting notes of bourbon, your favorite summer drinks are in for a seriously mature upgrade.