Introducing: ColdSnap’s Boozy Ice Creams

How do you make ColdSnap’s ultra-creamy ice cream even better? Add booze.

At ColdSnap, one of the more festive product launches to date has been the boozy ice cream line. Milk, cream, natural flavors like vanilla and fairtrade cocoa, sweetened with sugar, and spiked with booze – then freshly frozen in the ColdSnap system? Yes, please!

Creating these alluring treats is no simple feat, though. If you’re curious about how we make this popular menu item, read on as we dish about our inaugural alcohol-infused soft serve creations.

Creating the Boozy Ice Creams

Alcohol-infused ice creams are a hot ticket, and ColdSnap’s freshly frozen versions are a hit with just about everyone who tastes them. They’ve also been an exciting area of development for the Food Science team, who got to taste various kinds of bourbons and tequilas every week (tough job!)

ColdSnap’s extra creamy, premium ice cream blends luxuriously with booze, but researching and developing which spirits worked well with our vanilla and chocolate ice creams took some time. Taste is king, but not everyone has the same preference for alcohol flavors or strength.

During the development of our boozy flavors, the Food Science team relied on our colleagues’ opinions of different alcohols to develop products that most consumers would enjoy. We settled on ~2% ABW in our ice creams, which imparts a tasty boozy punch without overdoing it.

After testing many boozy soft serve flavors, two emerged as stars for our initial launch: Bourbon and Mexican Hot Chocolate.

Bourbon Boozy Ice Cream

The show-stopper of ColdSnap’s offerings, Bourbon Boozy Ice Cream is a modern twist on our premium vanilla ice cream, with a hint of sweet and smooth Bourbon whiskey. This frozen confection is best enjoyed with good company after a long day. It’s also the perfect treat for hot summer evenings.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Boozy Ice Cream

Mexican Hot Chocolate Boozy Ice Cream is a spin on our signature chocolate ice cream, with a kick of hot spice and cinnamon, and a splash of tequila. Prepare for your taste buds to be delighted by the rich depth of flavor – this is not your mama’s frozen hot chocolate.

Sourcing the Alcohol

While formulating and testing alcohol-based ice creams is a fascinating aspect of product development, it’s important to note that alcohol is highly regulated. For that reason, spirits like bourbon and tequila are a challenge when it comes to sourcing, receiving, storing, and utilizing them in the products, as well as selling them once they’re incorporated into the final product.

Sourcing the bourbon whiskey and tequila was a challenge because some desirable brand names can only be purchased a few bottles at a time through liquor stores or distilleries. Bourbon has the advantage of domestic availability but presents challenges related to scaling – bourbon that can be bought in bulk for large production runs often doesn’t have the quality or distinct taste that you would find locally. Therefore, it’s much harder to narrow down which type of bourbon to use in the final product.

On the other hand, tequila must be imported from Mexico. Because it’s imported, there are many more restrictions and requirements from both the US and Mexican governments. Some of these requirements include paying certain taxes and recording how the tequila is transported and used. Additionally, licenses are required both to buy and sell it. Given the complexity of sourcing and receiving alcohol, ColdSnap works hard to use tasty, flavorful, and practical spirits in our boozy ice creams.

Launching Later This Year: ColdSnap’s Instant Frozen Treat Maker + Alcohol Infused Ice Cream

ColdSnap’s Bourbon and Mexican Hot Chocolate Boozy Ice Creams are fully developed and ready to hit the market later this year.* Like all ColdSnap products, the pods of our Boozy Ice Cream contain all the needed ingredients, including the booze, right inside the shelf-stable pod. Pop the single-serve pod of liquid mix into the ColdSnap appliance, and in under two minutes, your treat is dispensed. No mess, no fuss – just creamy, frozen, boozy bliss. Mini-vaca mode activated.

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*State regulations vary, so ColdSnap’s boozy offerings may not be available in every state.

By: Kayla Center and Lyn Ferreira