Can You Get Tipsy From Boozy Ice Cream?

People around the world have been mixing dairy and alcohol for a long time. After the Prohibition Era, adding liquor to desserts became trendy during the 1930s, and rum raisin ice cream was concocted around the same time. The white Russian cocktail was born in the 1960s, and the mudslide cocktail was created in the 1970s — both of which blend liquor with heavy cream. With this history, it's no surprise that alcohol-infused ice cream is such a hit these days.

However, when you opt to enjoy boozy ice cream to celebrate the end of a long day, can you actually get tipsy from it? The answer isn't so simple, because it depends on how much of the dessert you eat. On average, liquor-enhanced ice cream contains 5% alcohol by volume (ABV) — the equivalent strength of an average beer.

While this might be enough to give some people a buzz, a rather large serving of boozy ice cream would be required to feel the equivalent effects of two or three cocktails. What's more, the amount of fat in the ice cream is likely to make you feel full before you can eat enough of it to feel drunk. That's why it's difficult to get tipsy by eating this booze-infused treat.

The method of making ice cream spiked with liquor is a science. An 80-proof vodka doesn't freeze until it hits about minus 16 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas water freezes at 32 degrees. That's because ethanol has a low molecular weight, and creates freezing point depression — a process that occurs in a solvent with a high freezing point when a solute with a lower freezing point, such as salt, is introduced.

As a result, putting alcohol into ice cream lowers its freezing point, creating a softer scoop that melts faster. Too much liquor can turn ice cream into a slushy mess. Along with infusing just the right amount of booze, one way to avoid this disaster is to cut back on the amount of ingredients that trigger freezing point depression.

A few companies have used this science to their advantage, and sell alcohol-enhanced ice cream from specialty shops. Brewer's Cow Ice Cream from "Shark Tank" may not be around anymore, but Tipsy Scoop and Hardscoop — both founded in 2013 — still offer this potent frozen treat. Hardscoop even teamed up with Vizzy Hard Seltzer in 2023 to release a 12.5% ABV popsicle. 

While simply adding alcohol to your favorite scoop creates something more like an ice cream float or milkshake cocktail, it's easy to make boozy ice cream at home. Grab your go-to tub of ice cream, use a wooden spoon handle to create cavities in the dessert, slowly pour in your booze to fill the holes, and put the confection back in the freezer for a few hours or overnight.

If you use an 80-proof liquor with this technique, more than 5 tablespoons will keep the ice cream from freezing properly, and may make the dessert too strong to taste good. Also, keep in mind that neutral spirits like vodka don't generally enhance ice cream flavors. Instead, lower-proof liquors and flavorful liqueurs — such as Baileys and Cointreau — work best for spiking ice cream.

Don't be afraid to also mix in nonalcoholic flavorings for balance, especially if the boozy taste doesn't suit your palate. Fruit juices and zests (especially from limes, lemons, or oranges) can improve a tropical ice cream blend, while vanilla extract and cold coffee pair well with chocolate and caramel flavors. For the ultimate dessert, you can sprinkle your cup or bowl with nuts, candy pieces, shaved chocolate, or crushed cookies.