I remember going to a Red Robin (don’t judge, I was young!) in college and discovering the world of booze-filled milkshakes. At the time, Red Robin was a place to splurge on ginourmous burgers and bottomless soft drinks and lemonades. One visit, I made the choice to venture away from my favorite Very Berry Raspberry Limeade, from the bottomless beverage section, and opted for a Baileys Irish Cream milkshake. Booze and dessert in a glass, it’s efficient and delicious. 

The Baileys Irish Cream shake has been replaced by a new favorite, the Royal Red milkshake at The Ice Cream Bar in San Francisco. This soda fountain and ice cream shop is an adult ice cream lover’s dream. Marble counters, a crew of soda jerks dressed in white collars and black bowties and old school ingredients like phosphates and lactarts all make for an experience.

The Ice Cream Bar has a selection of boozy milkshakes, and the Royal Red is a blend of Flemish red ale and sweet sherry blended with morello cherry ice cream. It’s the first boozy milkshake I have tasted that balances the sweet and tart perfectly.

With nostalgia running through my veins, I decided to recreate my own boozy shake. This milkshake is very different from the Baileys Irish Cream shake of my college days, and the Royal Red of my San Francisco days. It’s a great way to end a backyard BBQ dinner, which I plan on doing a lot this summer.

My kitchen notes

I used Folie a Deux Winery’s Ménage à Trois red blend. It’s an inexpensive blend of Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and is easy to find at grocery stores. Any ripe, jammy fruit forward red will work.

Red Nostalgia Milkshake 

Makes 4 adult-size shakes 

1 cup whipped cream vodka

2 cups red wine (see my kitchen notes)

6-8 scoops of ice cream, depending on how strong you like your boozy shakes

Whipped cream (optional)

1. Combine vodka, red wine and ice cream in a blender.

2. Put mixture in the freezer and let freeze for minimum 2 hours, up to overnight.

3. Pour into glasses and top with whipped cream.

4. Enjoy the chilly pink clouds, rising into white whipped cream peaks.