After taking a bite of cold, sweet vanilla ice cream, imagine a hint of bourbon lingering on your tongue. This is the taste Häagen-Dazs was going for the with the release of its newest alcohol-flavored ice cream line — and don’t worry, you don’t need to be 21 to enjoy these treats.
Häagen-Dazs has introduced six new flavors, all with a twist: Irish Cream Brownie, Bourbon Vanilla Bean Truffle, Rum Tres Leches, Stout Chocolate Pretzel Crunch and Bourbon Praline Pecan, along with a dairy free option, Amaretto Black Cherry Almond Toffee.
Alcohol-infused ice cream is nothing new — the line was first introduced in Canada over a year ago and was made available in the U.S. earlier this month. Smaller stores like the Tipsy Scoop on 26th Street and Morgenstern’s on Rivington Street have been selling alcohol-infused ice cream for a while.
Located on Eighth Street between University Place and Broadway, students have that only-in-New York convenience of walking a few feet over to the Häagen-Dazs store to try out the new flavors. Of the six, two are available at the Eighth Street store — Irish Cream Brownie and Bourbon Vanilla Bean Truffle.
If you’re in the mood for a super sweet and rich scoop of ice cream, try the Irish Cream Brownie. It has a milky taste similar to vanilla but is much sweeter. It’s also loaded with chocolatey brownie bites and infused with fudge.
The Bourbon Vanilla Bean Truffle had a much stronger flavor, with the taste of the alcohol more prominent than in the Irish Cream. It has swirls of bourbon flavoring, a delicious fusion with the sweetness of the vanilla ice cream. The unlikely match made for a surprisingly compatible combo.
At only 0.5 percent alcohol per volume, the new flavors definitely won’t get you drunk, but all of them are worth a try. Next time you have a hankering for dessert after a long week of class, consider taking a short stroll to Eighth Street.
A version of this article appears in the Monday, March 11, 2019, edition. Email Hanna McNeila at [email protected].
