The kids are finally asleep, you’ve answered the monster list of emails that you had waiting and the laundry is actually folded and might even be put away. Now what?
You pull out your favourite sweet treat from the freezer and pop open a bottle of pinot. But, what if you didn’t have to get out both a spoon and a glass? That is – what if you could have your ice cream and wine all in the same place?
The Crossroad Co. has made this a real possibility. The small, family-owned business (they’re based in the U.S. out of Baltimore, Maryland) combines naturally sourced gourmet-made ice cream with fruit wines. The result? Winecream! It was Christmas Day, three years ago, when Dan Gorham (and the rest of his family) were faced with a major decision – to continue on with a bottle of wine or stop and break out the desserts. The family brainstormed options such as wine milkshakes or floats.
As those ideas were no-go’s, they decided on a wine-infused ice cream. And thus, their business had its start. If you think pouring a bottle of wine into ice cream isn’t earth-shattering, consider the fact that the alcohol won’t freeze. At least not in the typical way of popping into the freezer. Instead, Gorham and his family had to use liquid nitrogen to freeze the wine and cream into one boozy treat. The key here is that not only does the liquid nitrogen work its magic on the wine, allowing it to freeze into the cream, but it also retains the alcohol content. That means one bowl equals roughly the alcohol in one glass of wine (about 10 percent ABV). Genius!
Winecream isn’t made from grapes, but instead from sweeter types of wines that use fermented pineapples, peaches or strawberries. The boozy dessert isn’t available in stores, but can be found at food and drink festivals in the U.S. Gorham and company customise the Winecream (at festivals) for individual customers, allowing them to pick fruit purees and candy toppings.
The popularity of the product has led the Crossroad Co. to expand their operation, moving the business to a warehouse. Once in their new home, the Gorhams plan on making and packaging Winecream for sale. If you have your hopes on ordering up a batch of the sweet yet booze-filled treat, only adults in the U.S. who live in the Maryland and Washington D.C. areas are eligible for shipping. According to the company’s website, delivery will require a signature from an adult who is 21 or older (valid ID required too). Local residents will also be able to purchase the ice cream starting mid-summer through liquor stores.
The Crossroad Co. isn’t exactly the first dessert-maker to experiment with booze-infused ice cream. Mercer’s Dairy (also located in the US) makes almost a dozen flavours of ice cream with red and white wine flavours! Check them out here and if you’re in the US, download an order form too! Find out about Wine Ice Cream here.
If you’re beginning to think that alcoholic ice cream is only a treat that those lucky Americans can have, hold on one moment. Although Winecream, the Ice Cream Bar and SnoBar are all US-based (and only serve US cities), Australians looking for a similar adults-only combo can find what they’re looking for with Chillbar. The company’s alcoholic gelato is made in Brisbane and includes flavours such as Irish Cream Butterscotch Cowboy, Belgian Chocolate Mudslide, White Russian, Vodka Lime Sorbet and Honey Bourbon Caramel.
