The Aspen Crud Is A Boozy Milkshake And A Throwback To Prohibition

"Crud" — a word associated with gross things, like that stuff stuck in your throat when you have a cold, or a sticky, mystery substance — doesn't sound like a very appetizing ingredient to add to any food or beverage. However, if you ask for crud in your drink at the J-Bar in Aspen, Colorado, you'll get something surprisingly delicious — and with a kick. The Aspen Crud (also a term for snow that's been packed down by skiers and snowboarders) is a vanilla milkshake spiked with bourbon. 

The cocktail came about during Prohibition (which lasted from 1916 to 1933 in Colorado) at Jerome Bar, which rebranded itself as the Soda Fountain & Bar during the dry spell. Because the consumption of alcohol was illegal, those seeking adult beverages could only drink in private for those 17 years — unless they knew the secret code word and where to use it. When a customer asked for "the crud," the bartender would add a shot or three of bourbon to the milkshake and the patron could then enjoy the disguised spirit out in the open. 

Today, the J-Bar makes this creamy, sweet, and spiced drink with Buffalo Trace bourbon and house-made vanilla ice cream and tops it with Luxardo cherries, a special variety of maraschino cherries. It remains a popular order for locals and tourists alike, and is fitting for anytime of year, whether it's to cool off in the summer or represent that crud snow in the winter. Sometimes, guests request a different spirit, such as Grand Marnier, which makes the drink taste like an orange Creamsicle. 

Adding alcohol to a milkshake is the perfect way to combine a bit of adulthood fun with a classic childhood treat, especially for those of us who are still kids at heart. Though the Aspen Crud has been around for a century, the more recent growing popularity of the ice cream "barlor" (an ice cream parlor and bar fusion) across the country has led to the creation of some of the best boozy milkshakes in the U.S., such as the Cookie Monster Creamtail in El Paso — a blue cookies-and-cream shake made with Malibu Coconut rum — and the Blume Berry in Philadelphia, a strawberry milkshake spiked with Smirnoff blueberry vodka that is reminiscent of fruity cereal milk, another childhood favorite. 

Making your own intoxicating ice cream drink at home allows for experimentation (and maybe even a heavier pour!) with a variety of ice creams and types of alcohol. If you want to stick with the J-Bar's original booze base, make sure you choose your bourbon carefully. Schnapps is also a great choice to add a fruity touch, such as adding De Kuyper Peachtree peach schnapps to a cinnamon milkshake to create the illusion of Southern peach pie. Or, liven up a toasted marshmallow coffee milkshake with Smirnoff Fluffed Marshmallow vodka or Kahlúa, a coffee liqueur. With so many flavored liquors on the market, there are endless possibilities for blending up a delicious spiked shake.