Bourbon Milkshake with Hot Fudge

Love being a kid again? How about the best of both worlds? Then try this Bourbon Milkshake with Hot Fudge...it's grownup and it's divine!

When I first published this recipe several years ago I remember asking myself if this Bourbon Milkshake with Hot Fudge belonged in Friday Cocktails and I could not come up with definitive criteria that negated it; after all it does include bourbon right?

That must make it qualify as a 'cocktail' so the answer was easy...why yes, yes it does!

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Every year I regale against my peers who are ready for Fall in the middle of summer. It is a summer month and I want to see summer food and drink...how about you? I'm not over ice cream, bbq chicken, watermelon, and more ice cream; especially a grownup milkshake like this.

I know they're trying to prepare better for the onslaught of traffic in winter months but I just can't go there.

This blog has always been more about my personal journey with food and cocktails we love than making sure I had something timed just right for holiday blog traffic 6 months down the road. Nope I've never made a turkey in the summer either. 🙂

I remember as kids that we used to have three whole months off for summer vacation but now schools are starting before the middle of August and that just seems wrong. I won't let that influence my summer doggone it, and we're having ice cream and hot fudge and bourbon!

We've had a nice mild summer in Colorado and it's been a welcome relief. My grass that was burned up a bit in May is happier than it's been all summer and my flowers and herbs are going nuts.

Plus we had some rain last week; not exactly monsoon season but a couple of days when a storm would roll across the sky in late afternoon. Sometimes they've been quick and are a nice refresher; others have overstayed their welcome and kept at it for a few hours.

I can hear the thunder rumbling outside right now even as I type this post. Where my friends in other parts of the country might be saying, 'please no more,' my lament is the total opposite, 'please yes bring it!'

Colorado is arid and we never get enough moisture but still, I couldn't help it. I'm not at ENOUGH ALREADY... and tomorrow is supposed to be sunny again, so typical of Colorado, thank goodness!

I want those warm summer days when this cocktail will hit all major senses. Sure I'll take the rain...it can often be too hard to come by in Colorado, but I will have a side of this Bourbon Milkshake with Hot Fudge Sauce...you should too!

I love bourbon and this was a fun way to imbibe one of my favorites. It's like a kid treat but only for adults and it made for a magical moment in my book. The ingredient list for this treat is short, nothing fancy. It includes:

Vanilla Ice Cream
Milk
Bourbon
Vanilla Flavoring
Hot Fudge
Whipped Cream
Maraschino Cherries

It really is as simple as drizzling hot fudge along the inside of a glass, combining vanilla ice cream, milk, bourbon, and vanilla in a blender and then topping it all with whipped cream, chocolate shavings and a maraschino cherry. Ah...decadent and delicious! Need a kid version or a mocktail for a friend? Easy, just skip the bourbon; still delicious!

The weather might have been a bit wetter and cooler than I would have liked when I served it, but my testers uttered nary a word of dismay...they gulped them down with a fervor that could only reiterate my own thoughts, more akin to 'Yes, Yes, YES.'

I made my favorite recipe for the Hot Fudge Sauce but if that's not your thing, don't let that stop you; use a store bought product you love. It's that combination of ice cream, vanilla, fudge and BOURBON that makes this so special.

I am picky about my whipped cream, always preferring to whip it myself from heavy cream and add a little bit of vanilla and powdered sugar. But in a pinch, and I've had them, I'll buy a can of the products that are real cream with real sugar that have been pressurized.

The only caveat I have with them is serve the can alongside the milkshake, that product will not keep its shape and will become cream in a heartbeat so I like to add a little bit more after I get through my first couple of bites. Please don't use Cool Whip. Please?

While I love a brand of maraschino cherries that are not died, something about a bourbon and hot fudge ice cream treat calls for the bright red orbs, don't you agree? They are the perfect topping for this summer (but I will eat it anytime) treat!