With just 2 ingredients, this delicious Beer Float is both the perfect dessert and cocktail for beer lovers. Perfect for St. Patrick's Day and beyond, this adult-friendly float can be made in under 5 minutes!
Why this recipe works
If you're a fan of beer, this is a unique way to make it feel extra celebratory. Maybe you're in the mood for a sweet treat, or maybe you're feeling nostalgic for the old soda fountain days. A beer float is just plain fun.
If you are not a fan of beer, you need to skip this recipe. Instead, make a Strawberry Lemonade Champagne Float. Or try this Blood Orange Cocktail with Gin and Sorbet.
Although there is a printable recipe at the end of this post, you really don't need it. It's as easy as pouring beer over ice cream. With no prep, you can enjoy the first sip of this cocktail idea in under 5 minutes.
There are tons of flavored stout beers on the market making it the perfect pairing for classic vanilla ice cream. The beer that I grabbed was peanut butter flavored. With a slight nutty flavor and dark chocolate notes, it was a great choice.
Serve this creative drink idea for St. Patrick's day, where beer is usually the star of the show (add a drop of green food coloring to make it even more holiday-friendly. Or serve at a Father's Day gathering, retirement party or any time you need a dessert that is out of the ordinary.
Make sure you also try these Beer Brownies topped with Beer Whipped Cream! SO GOOD! And non-beer lovers will love these too.
Ingredient notes
Any kind of vanilla ice cream will work for this fun Beer Float recipe. I went with a classic French Vanilla, but you can use vanilla bean, etc. You can use other flavors of ice cream that you think would pair well with the stout beer. For instance, coffee ice cream would also be delicious.
As I mentioned before, stout beer is a great choice for this float. I found this peanut butter version on Amazon Fresh, but I've also made this with a chocolate stout and a banana bread stout. YUM!
You can also use Guinness to make a Guinness Ice Cream Float. It doesn't have any gimmicky dessert flavors but has sweet undertones that would still work with the ice cream.
I think a dark beer works best for a Beer Float. But I think something with orange, like a Hefeweizen, could be interesting.
Step-by-step instructions
Add 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream to a glass.
Add the beer. It will foam up so be careful to not make it spill over the top.
Let the foam subside and then top with more beer.
Tips and tricks
- Want this to be more like a dessert? Add some chocolate syrup!
- To keep the foam down, you can use place a spoon in the glass, backside up, and pour the beer down the back of the spoon into the glass. I learned this trick when I worked the soda fountain in a 40's diner. I actually like the foam as part of this recipe. You do you.
- You can play up the dessert side of this beer ice cream float by topping it with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
- Don't like beer but still want an alcoholic float? Try hard root beer instead!
Frequently asked questions
A beer float is just a fun twist on the classic ice cream float. Scoops of ice cream are topped with a liquid that melts together and creates flavor harmony as you drink it.
If you are a beer lover, you will find this stout float tasty. If you don't love beer, the chances are high you will not enjoy this.
You don't. Ice cream doesn't store well once you scoop it out of the container. If you don't finish it, you can place your glass in the fridge or freezer, just know you won't get a beer float back when you take it out.
Related recipes
Beer Float
Ingredients
- 2 scoops vanilla ice cream
- 1 cup stout beer
Instructions
- To a short glass, add 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream.
- Top with stout beer taking care to not let the foam overflow.
- Let the foam subside, then top with more beer.
Notes
- Look for a stout beer that is flavored. The one I'm using is Peanut Butter flavored but I've also used Chocolate Stout and Banana Bread Stout.
- To keep the foam down, you can use place a spoon in the glass, backside up, and pour the beer down the back of the spoon into the glass. I learned this trick when I worked the soda fountain in a 40's diner. I actually like the foam as part of this recipe. You do you.
- You can play up the dessert side of this beer ice cream float by topping it with whipped cream, chocolate syrup and chocolate shavings.
- Don't like beer but still want an alcoholic float? Try hard root beer instead!
Carrie Rowe says
i want to drink this now. like, NOW. oh wait it's 7:30 in the morning... too soon?
Sharon Garofalow says
I'm replying to you at 7:12 am and now I want one. :) Maybe we should hold off until at least lunch time...;)