11 locations to enjoy boozy ice cream drinks around Wisconsin Purple Door Ice Cream in the Milwaukee area
What could be better for beating the heat than ice cream or ice cream drinks?
Oh yeah, boozy versions of those treats.
You can find them at ice cream shops, supper clubs, restaurants and bars across the state. Here are 11 to get you started.
Don’s in Milwaukee
1100 S. First St., Milwaukee More information: donsmke.com or facebook.com/ donsmke
Don’s speakeasy ... oops, we mean Don’s TV Repair in Milwaukee has house boozy shakes, a build-your own option and a rotating shake of the month.
There are five house recipes to choose from, with the most popular being the Commodore 64, a brandy Old-Fashioned shake, according to Taylor Gillen, Don’s restaurant manager.
A state delicacy with a dairy twist? Can’t get much more Wisconsin than that. It features a mix of cherry, orange and bitters with Korbel Brandy and vanilla ice cream. It’s topped with a Hostess Cherry Pie, Cool Whip and a cherry.
The restaurant also does a rendition of a grasshopper, named Sega Genesis. It has creme de menthe, creme de cacao and vanilla ice cream and is served with a Hostess Ding Dong, chocolate drizzle and Cool Whip.
For the build-your-own option, customers can decide if they want it non-alcoholic or alcoholic.
They can pick from seven classic shake flavors, more than 11 add-ins, six whiskeys, liqueurs or other spirits, and can top it off with a Hostess snack.
The restaurant also offers take-out shake options, like the Brewer’s Shake, which is made with salted caramel, vanilla ice cream and Cracker Jack. It comes with a 50-milliliter bottle of Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey.
Buck-A-Neer Supper Club in Marathon County
122923 County Road C, Stratford More information:
thebuckaneer.com or facebook.com/buckaneersupperclub
An alcoholic ice cream drink that features 51⁄2 scoops.
That’s just one thing patrons can find at Buck-ANeer Supper Club near Stratford in Marathon County.
And if you’re not up for the challenge or into sharing, there are two more sizes to fit your fancy.
The establishment whips up grasshoppers — which are the most popular — pink squirrels, golden Cadillacs, brandy Alexanders, monkey business, white doves, the turtle and the Buck peanut butter cup, said co-owner Ariel Gorst.
A KitchenAid stand mixer with a paddle attachment is used to make ‘em. They’re finished off with whipped cream and a cherry.
The 51⁄2 scooper, AKA “the grande,” can serve about four people; “the little” features 31⁄2 scoops of ice cream and can serve about two; and “the mini” has 21⁄2 scoops and is “personal-sized.”
Three locations: 205 S. Second St., Milwaukee; 3536 W. Fond Du Lac Ave., Milwaukee; and inside the Mequon Public Market, 6300 W. Mequon Road, Mequon
More information: purpledooricecream.com or facebook.com/Purpledooricecream
The ever-popular Milwaukee-based Purple Door uses alcohol in several flavors of its ice creams.
There’s Whiskey, which features Great Lakes Distillery’s Kinnickinnic Whiskey.
There’s Wisconsin Brandy Old-Fashioned — the shop’s take on the classic cocktail — with hints of cherries, oranges and bitters from Milwaukee’s Bittercube.
There’s Beer and Pretzel, which includes Lakefront Brewery’s Eastside Dark beer and chocolate-covered pretzels.
These three flavors are available as pints. They’re also offered online as a “Happy Hour” pack that comes with a vanilla chaser ice cream. That’s available for shipping throughout the United States.
A sampling of the shop’s other flavors made with alcohol include Espresso Bourbon Chocolate Chip, Juniper and Lime with Gin, Rum Punch, Bourbon Praline Pecan, Chocolate Whiskey, Malort, Pina Colada, and Blackberry Brandy Sorbet.
Customers do not need to be over 21 to consume any of these flavors, said Lauren Schultz, who owns the business with her husband, Steve.
“Because alcohol does not freeze, the amount of alcohol in the ice cream is minimal,” she said. “We use enough to bring out the flavors but nothing that would make it unsafe for customers under 21 to consume.”
To find out what flavors Purple Door has on a given day, visit its website.
DLUX in Madison
117 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Madison More information: dluxmadison.com or facebook.com/DluxMadison
At DLUX in Madison, the staff ’s favorite boozy shake is Up All Night, according to J.D. Gardner, DLUX’s general manager.
It features espresso vodka, creme de dacao and coffee. All the restaurant’s shakes are made with Sassy Cow ice cream.
DLUX offers four other boozy shake options. Smores is made with bourbon, toasted marshmallow milk, graham crackers and chocolate. Mint Cookies N’ Cream has creme de menthe and Oreo cookies.
Dreamsicle features vanilla vodka and housemade orange cream soda. Old-Fashioned uses SoulBoxer OldFashioned liqueur.
Any spirit can also be added to DLUX’s nonalcoholic shakes for $3.
All shakes are available for both dine-in and carryout.
Corner Scoop Creamery in Coleman
550 Business 141 N, Coleman More information: facebook.com/cornerscoopcreamery
Old-Fashion Wisconsin. Grasshopper. Brandy Alexander.
These are the three alcohol-infused ice creams available at Corner Scoop Creamery in Coleman.
For the Old-Fashion Wisconsin — a whiskey OldFashioned sweet — co-owner Gayle Maye found that Southern Comfort paired best with the cherry, orange and ice cream flavors.
Customers do need to be at least 21 to order these flavors.
In addition to the three alcohol-infused ice creams, the business offers a dozen non-alcoholic flavors — from Classic Chocolate to Texas Butter Pecan — as well as a dairy-free option made with oat milk. Specialty flavors rotate weekly.
Point Burger Bar in the Milwaukee area
Three locations: W229-N1400 Westwood Drive, Waukesha; 4900 S. Moorland Road, New Berlin; 10950 Good Hope Road, Milwaukee
More information: pointburgerbar.com
Point Burger Bar serves up 12 kinds of alcoholic shakes at all three of its Milwaukee-area locations.
The most popular is the Bourbon Street, said operations manager Jack Holt. It features butter pecan, vanilla and bourbon.
One of his personal favorites is the Dreamsicle. He said it’s like a Creamsicle — a treat he grew up having.
Other options include, Frosted Gingerbread, Macadamia Nut Mocha, Salted Caramel Brittle, Caramel Apple, Chai Tea Spice Island, Cinnamon French Toast, Royal Raspberry Cheesecake, Italian Coffee, Campfire Smores, and Peppermint Patty.
There are also an array of non-alcoholic shakes as well.
Point offers a rotating “specialty shake” each month, noted Holt, who owns Smokin‘ Jack’s Bar-BQue restaurant concept. This month’s is Cookies and Cream, his all-time favorite. It can be made non-alcoholic or alcoholic.
Shakes are available for both dine-in and carryout.
At Random, Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge in Milwaukee
At Random, 2501 S. Delaware Ave., Milwaukee; Bryant’s, 1579 S. Ninth St., Milwaukee
More information: atrandommke.com and bryantscocktaillounge.com
Frozen boozy treats have been At Random’s primary focus for more than 40 years, according to the business.
The Bay View cocktail lounge has ice cream drinks, Dole Whip, slushy tropical-inspired drinks and alcoholic floats. In 2020, the bar opened a patio called Ice Cream Social that celebrates the drinks with a vintage vibe.
Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge in Milwaukee — also owned by John Dye — has both ice cream and frozen slushy drinks (in addition to more than 450 cocktails).
One of the most famous is the Pink Squirrel, which was invented by Bryant’s founder, Bryant Sharp, in the 1940s.
The Mineshaft in Hartford, Oshkosh
22 N. Main St., Hartford and 2041 S. Koeller St., Oshkosh
More information: mineshaftoshkosh.com, facebook.com/MineshaftRestaurant or facebook.com/mineshaftoshkosh
From Bedeviled Brownie to a Jazzy Root Beer Float, The Mineshaft has boozy milkshakes, according to its website.
Bedeviled Brownie features caramel vodka, dark creme de cacao, brownie, ice cream and whipped cream.
The Jazzy Root Beer Float has root beer schnapps, coffee liquor and ice cream.
There are eight additional shakes to choose from, including Brandy Cocoa, which is made with Korbel, dark creme de cacao, ice cream, whipped cream and nutmeg; Super Mudslide, which has vodka, Irish cream, coffee liquor, ice cream, chocolate drizzle and whipped cream; and Nutty Monkey, which is made with amaretto, banana liquor, banana, ice cream and whipped cream.
They also serve a variety of non-alcoholic milkshakes, as well as a bottomless Sprecher root beer float.
Stack’d Burger Bar in Milwaukee
170 S. First St., Milwaukee More information: stackdburgerbar.com or facebook.com/StackdBurgerBar
Milwaukee’s Stack’d Burger Bar offers both boozy shakes and floats.
All of them are made with vanilla bean ice cream, according to its website.
For shakes, there’s the Chocolate Truffle spiked with chocolate vodka; the Cream City Vanilla made with Sprecher Cream Soda and spiked with vanilla vodka; the Orange Dreamsicle made with Sprecher Orange Soda and spiked with citrus rum; The Strawberry made with strawberries and spiked with strawberry vodka; and the Grasshopper spiked with Black Dot Vodka.
The restaurant’s floats, which are spiked with Kahlua, can be made with Sprecher Root Beer, Orange Dream or Cream Soda.
All of these can also be made without alcohol.
B-Lux Grill & Bar in Wisconsin Dells
1481 Wisconsin Dells Parkway, Wisconsin Dells
More information:
If you want to kick back after a day full of waterslides, rides and arcades in Wisconsin Dells, B-Lux Grill & Bar makes hard shakes, according to its website.
Oreo-A-Go-Go features Oreo cookies, chocolate sauce, Baileys and Kahlua.
Horchata has cinnamon whiskey, Rumchata and orange zest.
Lost Weekend is made with vodka, creme de cacao, Nutella, toasted marshmallow and graham cracker.
And last but not least, Kentucky Brainfreeze has Maker’s Mark bourbon, caramel and peanut butter.
The restaurant also has an array of fun non-alcoholic options, like the BLUX Donut Shake, which is a Nutella shake with a glazed doughnut, chocolate sauce and sprinkles.
AJ Bombers in Milwaukee
1247 N. Water St., Milwaukee More information: ajbombers.com Instead of using ice cream for its boozy shakes, Milwaukee’s AJ Bombers uses made-from-scratch frozen custard, according to its website.
Almond Joy has chocolate, Malibu, amaretto, coconut and toasted almonds; Mint Oreo Brownie has creme de menthe, peppermint schnapps, Oreo and brownie pieces; Cookie Monster has amaretto, Baileys, blue Curacao and Oreo; Key Lime Pie has lime, Malibu, vodka, graham cracker and crushed honey granola; Cinnamon Crunch has Fireball, Baileys and cereal crunch; and Peanut Butter Obsession has peanut butter chips, Screwball Whiskey and chocolate drizzle.
These can also be made booze-free.