The Best Ice Cream To Pair With Guinness, According To An Expert

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The millennial term "adulting" typically precedes a negative or otherwise generally unpleasant subject (i.e. washing dishes, responding to a put-off email). But, being an adult also means that you get to experience one of life's many pleasures, even better than you remember it from your childhood: ice cream ... but with beer. Don't knock it till you imbibe it — this adults-only upgrade to the classic ice-cream-and-soda formula just works. For Guinness fans, the best pairing for the job is maple ice cream, and it might be the most satisfying duo since a root beer float.

Tasting Table sat down with Rachel Chitwood from The Tipsy Scoop, a maker of artisanal, liquor-infused ice creams based in New York. In an exclusive interview with Tasting Table on how to pair brews with scoops, Chitwood explains why maple ice cream is the ultimate confectionery pairing for a pint of the dark, creamy Irish stout. "The malty sweetness of the beer paired perfectly with the creamy maple ice cream — then that Guinness hoppy bitterness appeared at the end to cut the sweetness," Chitwood tells us. 

This barley-based stout is all about its thick, rich body and pronounced dark maltiness. At a closer examination, the signature brew is also characterized by notes of sweetly decadent chocolate and roasted coffee. Woody, caramel-y, and vanilla-forward, maple ice cream complements the beer's flavor with harmonious dimensionality. In a pinch, toasty butter pecan ice cream would deliver a similar effect as a substitute.

To assemble, simply scoop some maple ice cream into a small, deep bowl, and pour the Guinness directly on top, like a boozy affogato. Or, alternatively, take a cue from classic ice cream float assembly, and pour the Guinness into a tall glass (nearly full), before adding a scoop of ice cream and stirring into a frothy, quasi-milkshake using a long-handled spoon. Pro tip: The best temperature for getting the maximum flavor out of stout beer is between 45 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit. But, in this avant-garde application, the colder, the better as it'll help your ice cream stay chilled and unmelted.

Some maple ice creams are dotted with pecan or walnut chunks, which would provide an even richer complement to the beer's roasted-nut tasting notes. Just keep in mind that nutty ice cream is probably going to be a better candidate for spoonable sundaes than for root-beer-float-style sipping — good luck getting those nut chunks up your straw.

At The Tipsy Scoop, says Chitwood, the creative team is topping its Guinness-infused maple ice cream with a textural maple pancake crunch (swoon). To recreate the combo at home, try topping your Guinness-maple sundae with a handful of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, or a sprinkling of crushed-up Trader Joe's Maple Leaf Cookies. For a fully-loaded, boozy milkshake masterpiece, garnish the glass with a dark chocolate creme-filled Pirouline Rolled Wafer and some bitter dark chocolate shavings. Mini caramel chips would work fabulously, as well.