The Root Beer Float has, for ages, been a staple of hot summer evenings. An ice cold scoop of vanilla ice cream, slowly melting into a slightly less cold root beer creates an irresistible treat that reaches the perfect juncture of sweet and creamy with just a little bit of fizz.
For the grown-ups, this cooling summertime pleasure can be easily recreated with a favorite beer. While pouring a Miller Lite over a scoop of vanilla may do the job we found that the rich flavors of local brews from Lucky Town Brewery play a little nicer with the creamy ice-cream.
To optimize your float we have two simple guidelines. One, make sure the ice-cream is ice cold. This keeps your float from becoming a slushy mess and it also helps maintain the pleasant difference between cold beer and frozen ice cream. Second, avoid ice creams with any bits, toppings or chunks embedded inside to maintain smooth sipping and a clean aesthetic.
We tried two Lucky Town Beers, their Flare Incident oatmeal stout and the Pub Ale, with a variety of ice creams including vanilla and coffee, but the undisputed winner was Flair Incident with a few scoops of Talenti Salted Caramel. The darker coffee notes of the stout really embraced the creamy sweetness of the caramel ice cream. The Pub Ale yielded a bit more bitter, but equally pleasant float. Remember that this is a beer float, not a Root Beer Float and there will be a bit of bitterness, embrace it.
The recipe is simple, put two or three healthy scoops of ice-cream in a pint glass. Carefully pour your beer into the glass and serve with a spoon and the remaining beer in the can to top of your creation.
