Once upon a time, long long ago, on New Years Eve in the small town of Calabasas, California, one of us Husbands had a liiittle too much to drink. And by “too much,” we mean polishing off a half a bottle of whiskey in just a few seconds. Adam was fifteen years old, and it was one of his first times drinking alcohol. After ringing in the New Year and watching Dick Clark’s annual celebration in Times Square on TV, his parents went to bed, while he and a friend began to raid their liquor cabinet. They started by pouring an entire bottle of whiskey into two large glasses filled with ice, plugging their noses, and chugging the contents as quickly as possible. While his friend disappeared to the restroom, he continued to consume more alcohol, gulping Kahlua straight from the bottle. As you can imagine, this unfortunate combination of liquids obviously didn’t agree with his skinny teenage body. Things got a little foggy after that, and the next thing he remembers is a man from the fire department asking him, “What did you drink, son?” “Whi-key,” he weakly mumbled, lacking the strength to pronounce the S. Apparently, he had been calling out to his mother, helplessly and hopelessly intoxicated, and she found him lying on the floor in the den—the details of which we will spare you since this is a cooking blog after all. Long story short, the paramedics determined that he would be okay and there was no need to take him to the hospital. Ever since that delightful day, “Whi-key” has not been a part of Adam’s life… until last December when he tried a double chocolate bourbon milkshake which changed everything.

In honor of #icecreamweek and this uninvited 114-degree heat, we wanted to create a cocktail that was cool and refreshing. And what better way to do it than with chocolate, mint, and bourbon! This frosty beverage has two delicious layers that will cool off these scorching summer days and make you forget the insensible triple-digit temperatures! Here, chocolate ice cream is blended with a drizzle of chocolate syrup, a hint of vanilla, and a splash of bourbon. The beautiful green layer is made with smooth vanilla ice cream, creme de menthe liquor, fresh mint leaves, chopped semi-sweet chocolate, and a kiss of spirulina adds a naturally striking green color. Topped with a cloud of whipped cream and sprinkled with delicate chocolate shavings, this multi-colored treat is deliciously indulgent, visually stunning, and extremely addicting so be sure to hide everyone’s car keys before making this chocolatey crowd-pleaser!

This cool and minty dessert cocktail is a pleasure to make. All the ingredients are prepared in the blender, and it literally comes together in just minutes. You simply chop up a little chocolate and mint, blend it all together, pour, and enjoy! Plus, once the mint portion is ready, you don’t even need to clean out the blender before making the chocolate layer! For the clearest separation between the two, you can also freeze both mixtures for a few minutes to thicken them slightly before pouring the drink. With two kinds of ice cream, handfuls of fresh mint, and plenty of bourbon, this boozy milkshake is a delicious treat, and the perfect sweet refreshment to celebrate the first official weekend of Summer!

Bourbon Chocolate Mint Shake
serves 4

For the mint chip layer:
8 large mint leaves
1 teaspoon powdered spirulina (for color, optional)
1/4 teaspoon mint extract
2 ounces (57g) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup (60ml) creme de menthe liquor
1 pint vanilla ice cream
1 cup ice

For the chocolate bourbon layer:
1/4 cup (60ml) bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup (60ml) chocolate syrup
1 pint chocolate ice cream
1 cup ice

For assembly:
chocolate syrup or fudge sauce
whipped cream
chocolate shavings

Combine all the ingredients for the mint chip layer in a blender. Blend until smooth and until no chunks of ice remain. Pour mixture into a measuring cup and place in the freezer while you prepare the chocolate layer.

Combine all the ingredients for the chocolate bourbon layer in the blender, then blend until smooth. At this point, you can assemble the drink, or transfer the chocolate mixture to a measuring cup and place in the freezer to firm up slightly, stirring occasionally. Letting it firm up will allow for more separate layers in the drink, but the flavor will be the same.

When ready to assemble, fill a tall milkshake glass about halfway with the mint chip mixture. Drizzle a thin layer of chocolate syrup over the top. Fill the remaining space in the glass with the chocolate bourbon mixture. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, and serve immediately. Enjoy!

notes:
— Spirulina is available in health food stores and online. We buy tablets and then crush them to powder using a mortar and pestle.
— We tested this recipe using creme de menthe liquor, but it would probably work just as well with peppermint schnapps.
— To make the chocolate shavings, place a chocolate bar in the refrigerator until cold. When chilled, use a vegetable peeler and press firmly to create thin shavings.