Black&White Guinness Float

I’m dying to share something that I know will make your day. Once you taste my Black&White Guinness Float, you will wonder how you ever lived without it. I know you’re probably thinking, “Louise, are you out of your mind?!!” While it may sound strange pairing beer with ice cream, the combination totally works. Think of it as a root beer float for grown-ups.

I’m always happy when I find a multi-purpose recipe that is appropriate for a variety of occasions. Some of you may want to jumpstart your St. Patrick’s Day festivities this week, so this Irish stout cocktail will definitely get into the spirit of it all. If you’re celebrating the arrival of spring, a refreshing ice cream drink can enhance your enjoyment of the gorgeous and unseasonably warm days we’ve had in NYC this week. And if you’ve had a slightly stressful day–whether or not you were interviewed by Anderson Cooper in the morning about your unusual autobiographical memory—then a Guinness float is exactly the thing to help you unwind. Trust me, it really helps!

Guinness stout has long been my beer of choice. Velvety and bittersweet, I love it for its full-bodied complexity. As a major bonus, not only is it rich in iron and antioxidants, it is oddly low in calories. What’s not to love about that?

I wanted my beer float to play up both the deep chocolaty notes and the creamy quality of the Guinness. Since I prefer a Black&White milkshake—made with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup rather than being made from only chocolate ice cream—I decided that that principle should apply for this drink as well. A healthy glug of chocolate syrup mixed with the beer in the bottom of the glass intensifies the toasty richness of the Guinness, so much so that it’s practically crying out for a scoop of vanilla ice cream to make the party complete.

Still not convinced? Just try it. I’ve always thought that a great pint of Guinness tastes a bit like a sophisticated milkshake anyway, and I hope this unusual Black&White provides you with unexpected but welcome mid-March delight.

One Year Ago: Asparagus Soup

Two Years Ago: Tuscan Kale with Olive Oil Fried Eggs

Three Years Ago: Perfect Asparagus with Poached Eggs

BLACK & WHITE GUINNESS FLOAT

This float is so dumb-dumb easy to make, I can’t believe I’m even writing down a recipe for it. Yet I suppose most people don’t instinctively add a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream or chocolate syrup to their pint of stout, so I feel compelled to steer you in this direction.

For each float:

2 tablespoons chocolate syrup (use your favorite store-bought syrup, or make an easy quick homemade one such as this one)

12 ounces Guinness stout beer

1 to 2 scoops vanilla ice cream

Pour the chocolate syrup into the bottom of a tall glass. Add a few ounces of the beer to the glass and gently stir to combine. Add the ice cream and carefully pour in the rest of the Guinness. Drizzle a little extra chocolate syrup over the ice cream, if you'd like. Serve with a straw.