Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Brooklyn's Best Boozy Shakes
Posted by Virginia K. Smith on Tue, Aug 14, 2012 at 11:25 AM
If you're still in the city during these sweltering, apocalyptic, dog days of summer, we're guessing you're sweaty, chafed, and in need of a stiff drink.
And what better way to solve this problem than a nice, creamy milkshake. With tons of booze in it! Plus, you know, tons of calcium, for you squares who worry about that kind of thing.
Anyway, as longtime fans of this children's-treat-turned-cocktail, we were excited to hear that Bushwick's latest bar, Alaska, has pouring bourbon milkshakes in its dimly lit alcove off the Morgan stop.
Co-owner Skylar Insler explained that the idea took shape around a 50s and 60s DJ night, and will be a staple of the bar's drink menu as soon as they're outfitted with a proper in-house freezer — so far they've had to make do with dry ice.
Besides regular freezer access, the real trick, apparently is getting the ratios right. "It's actually really delicate," Insler said, "because bourbon's so strong. The key thing we realized was adding a little bit of vanilla extract. That mixes well with the bourbon, which tends to have natural vanilla flavors already. That was the key ingredient."
Armed with this knowledge, we think you're now ready to go out and sample all the very best booze shakes Brooklyn has to offer. Click through for our favorites, and think about all the fun, alcoholic brain freeze that lies ahead of you.
Brooklyn Bowl
As part of the Blue Ribbon restaurant menagerie, Brooklyn Bowl has been in the game for a while with its beloved Bourbon St. Shake.
But do we have to choose sides on this one? No. There is room in our hearts and bellies for as many bourbon milkshakes as this borough wants to serve up. Variety is the spice of life, and this version of the bourbon shake includes Nutella. Enough said.
Dumont Burger
The team at Dumont may be more advanced on the booze milkshake front than anyone, with a full menu of options ranging from "DuMint Julep" to "Toasted Almond."
Our personal favorite is the White Russian, though, since its basis is a drink that has always been a milkshake at heart. But you should probably order every single one of them at once. You know, just to be sure.
Dutch Boy
Though it's known largely as the place to go to for burgers while drinking at neighboring bar Franklin Park (the two are actually connected), this Crown Heights staple can get you plenty drunk in its own right, with both spiked milkshakes and beer floats on the menu.
You won't get hungover if you're already soaking it up with a burger while you drink, we're pretty sure.
Jimmy's Diner
No look at the booze milkshake would be complete without at least one stop at a diner. Granted Jimmy's — home of what's supposedly Brooklyn's best fried chicken — is a little higher-end than your typical open-24-hours, inexplicably-charging-$13-for-a-generic-omelette type of place, but our point still stands.
Alongside their impeccable selection of comfort food, the good people at Jimmy's will happily add a little something extra to their milkshakes if you ask nicely. Why would you ever not do this?
Honorary Mention: Bushwick Country Club
While technically not a milkshake, could we ignore the existence of the Jim Beam and Coke slushie? No, no we could not.
Nor could we ignore the needs of the lactose intolerant drunks we assume make up at least some portion of our readership. We love you all too much for that.
Follow Virginia K. Smith on Twitter @vksmith.
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About The Author
Virginia K. Smith
Virginia K. Smith is the Assistant Editor at The L Magazine and a Bushwick resident. Her profile picture was taken at Summerscreen, because she is a real team player.
