By Missy Adams

What’s more refreshing on a hot summer night than ice cream?  Drunk ice cream, of course!  Here are a few recipes for drinks that make ice cream a dessert and a cocktail all in one.  Oh yeah.

The Rusty Nail Shake
1 pint (2 cups) softened vanilla ice cream
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) Scotch, or to taste
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) Drambuie, or to taste
Garnish: chopped toasted pecans

In a blender, blend ice cream, Scotch and Drambuie until smooth but still thick and pour into 2 chilled stemmed glasses. Garnish drinks with pecans.

Ice Cream Genius
2 oz amaretto almond liqueur
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup vanilla ice cream

Blend all ingredients together in a blender and enjoy in a tall chilled glass.

Butterscotch Beauty
1 oz butterscotch schnapps
1/2 oz Frangelico® hazelnut liqueur
1 oz Kahlua® coffee liqueur
1 oz hazelnut liqueur
1 oz Irish cream
8 oz milk

Stir all ingredients together in a highball glass, using ice cold milk and/or several ice cubes.

Ice Cream Schnapps
1 oz butterscotch schnapps
1/2 cup Coca-Cola® Vanilla Coke
1 scoop vanilla ice cream

Scoop ice cream into a highball glass, pour butterscotch schnapps and Coke over top ice cream.

Ice Cream Hogarth
2 oz Bailey’s® Irish cream
4 oz vanilla ice cream
3 tbsp maple syrup

Combine ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy. Pour into a highball glass filled with ice cubes, and serve.

Zen Green Tea Liqueur
Putting Some Spirit into Tea Time

Unless you’re from Europe, a cup of tea might not exactly be your, well, cup of tea.  In fact, it might be pretty far down on your list of beverages you’d ever want to drink unless forced.  All that might change this summer, though, once you’ve tried Zen Green Tea Liqueur and some of the cocktail recipes invented by James Labe, known as “America’s first tea sommelier.”  So what’s this Zen stuff made of?  Glad you asked.  It’s a combination of neutral spirits, lemongrass, herbs, other natural flavors, and, of course, whole and ground green tea leaves (which comes from Uji, right near Kyoto, Japan) that give the liqueur its vibrant color and sweet flavor. The taste is subtle enough, though, that Zen mixes really well with rum, tequila, vodka, and whiskey…and what’s not to love about that!  So for more about the history of Zen, check out www.zenliqueur.com.  For some sophisticated recipes (yes, that’s right, a few call for exotic teas, but c’mon, what better way to show off your refined palate at your next pool party ~ try Ed Hyder’s Marketplace in Worcester to find the teas) to whip up this summer, just read on!

ZEN Beauty

1 part ZEN Green Tea Liqueur
2 parts prepared Oriental Beauty oolong tea
3 medium slices candied ginger
Splash of fresh lime juice

Combine 1 part cold and 5 parts boiling water to approximate 180ºF.  Use 1/2 cup dry tea leaves to 2 cups hot water (1:4).  Steep 2 minutes combined with candied ginger.  Strain, reserving candied ginger, and chill.  Pour liquid ingredients into a shaker with ice.  Shake and strain. Serve with ginger pieces in glass.

ZEN Goddess

11/2 parts ZEN Green Tea Liqueur
3 parts prepared Iron Goddess of Mercy oolong tea
1 part passion fruit juice
1 part Cabo Wabo tequila (yup, Sammy Hagar’s very own brand)
1 thin slice grapefruit

Combine 1 part cold and 5 parts boiling water to approximate 180ºF.  Use 1/4 cup dry tea leaves to 2 cups hot water (1:8). Steep 2 minutes.  Strain and chill.  Pour ingredients into a shaker with ice.  Shake and strain into glass.  Garnish with large, thin grapefruit slice.

ZEN Awakening

11/2 parts ZEN Green Tea Liqueur
4 parts prepared Earl Grey black tea
11/2 parts Flor De Cana Gold Run
2 parts pineapple juice
1 orange slice

Combine 1 part cold and 5 parts boiling water to approximate 180ºF.  Use 1/4 cup dry tea leaves to 2 cups hot water (1:8).  Steep 2 minutes.  Strain and chill. Pour ingredients into a shaker with ice.  Shake and strain into glass.  Garnish with orange slice or spiral.

ZEN, White & Blue

11/2 parts ZEN Green Tea Liqueur
3 parts prepared Silver Needle white tea
11/2 parts SKYY Infusions Raspberry™
3 parts fresh blueberries, muddled or pureéd
Fresh mint

Combine 1 part cold and 5 parts boiling water to approximate 180ºF.  Use 1/2 cup dry tea leaves to 2 cups hot water (1:4).  Steep 3 minutes.  Strain and chill.  Combine and stir ingredients.  Serve on the rocks.  Garnish with fresh mint.

ZEN Dew

11/2 parts ZEN Green Tea Liqueur
4 parts prepared Gyokuro Green Tea
11/2 parts Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey®
Lime zest

Use 1/4 cup dry tea leaves to 2 cups cold water (1:8). Steep 3-4 minutes.  Strain and chill.