4 Beer And Ice Cream Combos You're Missing Out On

Beer and ice cream might not be the first food and drink pairing that comes to mind, but when you choose the right type of beer for the right ice cream, you can actually make flavor magic. Think about it — boozy ice cream has been around for years, and what about pairing a classic soda with ice cream to make the perfect float, with the creaminess of the ice cream and the bubbles in the soda creating a delicious symbiosis? A proper pairing of beer with ice cream combines the principles of these two faves and cranks them up to eleven. 

Of course, having the guidance of an expert on how to pair beer with ice cream is helpful, so Tasting Table tapped beer expert Rich Higgins (@maltyrich on Instagram) for some insight into why and how these pairings work. Higgins is a Master Cicerone, certified sommelier, and former brewmaster based in Bozeman, Montana, who enjoys teaching people the nuances of beer to enjoy a better and richer tasting experience. He recently told us about pairing sour beers with food, and now he shares four of his favorite ice cream and beer combos.

A rich, buttery, vanilla-flavored "batter" speckled with bits of dark chocolate and chewy dough, cookie dough ice cream is a popular favorite. While a glass of cold milk or a cup of coffee are both suitable pairings for this delicious treat, Rich Higgins says there is an excellent beer pairing for those who wish to give it a go. "Like my suggestions for pairing with chocolate chip cookies: a bourbon-barrel-aged barleywine like Firestone Walker's bourbon-barrel-aged Sucaba would be perfect," he says. 

Barleywine is a strong, high-alcohol ale with ABVs starting as low as 8% and going up to 12% or more. These are dark, malty beers that are usually available in two styles. American-style barleywines are hoppier, with a marked bitterness, while English-style barleywines, such as the aforementioned Sucaba, tend to be sweeter and richer, perfect for pairing with desserts. "The beer's deep toffee malts and vanilla-coconut bourbon flavors find perfect harmony with the cookie's brown sugar and brown-butter-y goodness, and the beer's boozy 10%+ ABV cuts through the smooth sweetness of the ice cream," says Higgins.

Mint and chocolate are a lovely flavor combination found in desserts, confections, cocktails, and more — there's a reason why the most popular Girl Scout Cookies are Thin Mints, right? The flavor combination is so esteemed that it was deemed fit for a royal wedding back in 1973, when culinary student Marilyn Ricketts from South Devon College in England invented mint chocolate chip ice cream to be served as a dessert at Princess Anne's wedding to Captain Mark Phillips. 

We know from our previous pairing that chocolate is suitable for beers with similar flavor profiles, but mint? Rich Higgins thinks there's a pairing that both matches and contrasts with a scoop of frozen minty chocolatey goodness. "While mint isn't a common flavor in beer, dark chocolate flavor is the backbone of imperial stouts, so bring on the fudgy and bitter chocolate flavors of a beer like Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout or North Coast Old Rasputin to marry the minty sweetness of the ice cream," he says. 

There's something about coffee ice cream that makes it so appealing. It's simple and uncomplicated, but so satisfying and complex at the same time. As it turns out, our beer expert Rich Higgins agrees. "This is maybe the perfect ice cream flavor, if you ask me, and is a perfect balance of bitter and sweet with that roasty coffee finish," he says. So, when it comes to pairing it with a beer, he opts to match the flavor of coffee rather than contrast it, suggesting a strong-flavored coffee stout. "I like a more-is-more approach here, and throw a bittersweet amped up coffee beer at the pairing: AleSmith Speedway Stout or Lagunitas Willettized Coffee Stout is a sublime pairing," he says.

San Diego-based AleSmith Brewing Company's Speedway Stout is brewed with locally-roasted coffee, which enhances the beer's dark chocolate flavors. It has a smooth, creamy mouthfeel that makes it easy to drink. Willettized is more complex, as it ages in bourbon barrels and develops flavors of whiskey and wood. Both have wonderful roasted coffee notes that will enhance the flavor of the ice cream. We're thinking a coffee ice cream stout float sounds divine. By the way, if you want to learn more about pairing stouts, Higgins also explained to Tasting Table how to follow an easy-to-remember rule for pairing stouts with a variety of foods, as there are also different styles of stout with various flavor profiles, richness, and alcohol content.  

When it comes to pairing beer with one of the most popular combinations of sweets ever, Rich Higgins offers a couple of options. "Two great pairings with the sweet chocolate and peanut flavors are the Rogue's Hazelnut Nectar, which is a caramelly brown ale bulked up with hazelnut essence for a vibe, and it can tap the ice cream to bring the chocolate half of the Nutella pairing," he says. Brewed by the iconic Oregon brewery, the beer is a spin on a traditional European brown ale, boasting a hazelnut aroma with rich nutty flavor and a smooth, malty finish. 

"Alternately, this ice cream is a really fun partner for the toffee, mocha, and peaty-smoky flavors of Harviestoun's Ola Dubh 12-Year, an approachable imperial stout from Scotland that's aged in Scotch whisky barrels," says Higgins. "Ola Dubh," which means "Black Oil" in Scots-Gaelic, is matured in 12- year-old Highland Park whisky casks, resulting in a brew with whisky notes and a chocolatey, roasty, and bittersweet finish. Thanks to Higgins, we can all now enjoy our dessert and drink it, too. Check out our ranking of 32 ice cream flavors for even more tasty ideas.