We’ve got frozen desserts and frozen drinks. All across the country, enterprising ice cream parlors are combining the two, creating adults-only ice cream flavors that are sure to keep spirits in summer mode. From whiskey-heavy soft serve to hip-hop-inspired gin and juice, here’s where to satisfy those ice cream and booze cravings in one fell swoop.

At the forefront of the artisanal ice cream revolution, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams opened its first Ohio location back in 2002. Its roster of scoop shops has been growing ever since. The company now has eight locations, spanning from the Pacific to the Atlantic, with outposts in food-obsessed cities in between. The buttercream-based ice cream is reason enough to go, but regulars love Jeni’s company culture, too: Jeni’s is endorsed by the international nonprofit B Lab as a certified B Corporation, meaning it meets rigorous standards of social and environmental accountability. Direct and Fair Trade methods are employed for sourcing, with a number of company partnerships with suppliers like Askinosie Chocolate, Intelligentsia coffee and Middle West Spirits. The latter’s oak barrel-aged whiskey is the main ingredient in the decadent Whiskey & Pecans ice cream.

Using locally sourced dairy, this acclaimed parlor, founded by attorney-turned-“icecreampreneur” Victoria Lai, makes a wide selection of haute alcohol-infused treats in addition to more classic flavors. Some are on the straightforward side, such as Banana Bourbon Caramel (infused with a free-handed splash of Jim Beam) and seasonal fall Maple Rye Pecan. Cherries Jubilee celebrates D.C.’s Cherry Blossom Festival by incorporating pureed black cherries with a hearty dash of brandy — like the cherry on top of a Manhattan cocktail. Other beverage-inspired options include Dark & Stormy, Gin & Tonic sorbet, Grapefruit Campari and summery Strawberry Lemonade Champagne.

 

Photo courtesy of Victoria Lai

Sweet Action is regularly hailed as one of Denver’s top spots to grab a cone. Opened by Samantha Kopicko and Chia Basinger in 2009, the company started with the simple goal of making the best homemade ice cream possible, using local dairies and purveyors, including Colorado-based distilleries and breweries. When the owners devised Stranahan’s Whiskey Brickle, their goal was to create a flavor that tastes exactly like a glass of whiskey on the rocks. It does. And then there are the beer-based selections and even one made with grog. ESB has Breckenridge Extra Special bitters and a sandwich-cookie swirl mixed in. Smoked Porter S’mores, with chocolate chunks and marshmallows, tastes like a grown-up version of the campfire classic.