As a kid, you take a lot for granted — three-month summer vacations, guilt-free video game binges and an iron stomach that doesn't rebel against a dinner of pizza and ice cream. But things are different now. You have insurance premiums, a fully booked Outlook calendar and a brain that transforms trampolines into an inevitable back injury.
When you start feeling nostalgic for the carefree days of childhood, take care. Turns out some of the best parts of being a kid — the milkshakes, the ice cream and the slushies — have grown up right along with you. Alcoholic versions of your favorite frozen treats are being served all across the city, proving that while you can't be a kid again, you can at least get tipsy off a pint of ice cream.
Boozy Milkshakes
Grindhouse Killer Burgers. We all know how good Grindhouse's burgers are. But did you know they serve some killer alcoholic milkshakes as well? Its Piedmont Road location has five adult milkshakes on the menu, including El Duderino (a coffee shake with Kahlua and Pinnacle whipped cream vodka), the Stimulus Package (an Oreo shake with Whynatte and peppermint liqueur) and the Monkey Wrench (a peanut butter chocolate malt with banana liqueur and Pinnacle chocolate vodka). There's even a summer special: the Key Lime Pie shake.
HOBNOB. The Midtown bar has three boozy shakes perfect for pairing with pub food...or nothing at all: the Chocolate Stout (Left Hound Stout, vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce), the Hazelnut Mud Slide (Frangelico, Kahlua, espresso powder, chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream) and the Pineapple Upside Down (pineapple rum, vanilla ice cream and pineapple and cherry juice).
Farm Burger. Each Farm Burger location — Buckhead, Decatur and Dunwoody — has its own adult dessert selection. In Dunwoody, choose from three spiked milkshakes: Youngs Chocolate Stout, Original Sin Cider and Wells Banana Bread Beer. And then it gets interesting. Buckhead and Decatur don't have adult milkshakes, but they do have adult floats, which might be even better. Varieties range by location, but the Chocolate Porter (Decatur) and Peanut Butter Porter (Buckhead) sound awfully enticing.
Boozy Ice Cream
The Ice Cream Bar. Dubbed "the ice cream that's all grown up," the Ice Cream Bar specializes in alcoholic ice creams and sorbets, as well as craft beer-based pints through its Frozen Pints line. The Ice Cream Bar's creations can be found in restaurants, bars, hotels and package stores around town. Try the White Russian or Bourbon Butter Pecan ice creams; the Malted Milk Chocolate Stout and Honey IPA craft beer varieties are also solid choices.
Morelli's Ice Cream. Morelli's has created more than 200 signature flavors of homemade ice cream since opening in 2008, including a handful of alcoholic flavors. Standouts include Grand Marnier Pineapple, Bourbon Molasses and Chocolate Guinness. The latest addition to the adult lineup — just released this summer — is Red Hot Fireball, with Fireball whisky and Red Hots. Selections change daily, though; check Morelli's Facebook page to see which flavors will be served at its three locations (Dunwoody, Edgewood and Ormewood) each day.
Boozy Slushies
Victory Sandwich Bar. The originator of Atlanta's alcoholic slushies, Victory Sandwich Bar's "World-Famous" Jack & Coke slushie serves as boozy inspiration for restaurants across the city. If you prefer your soda spiked but not frozen, though, Victory also offers three spiked sodas. (One of them is root beer with absinthe. Intense.)
D.B.A. Barbecue. There's a little bit of mystery to D.B.A. Barbecue's spiked slushies; the flavors change every day, but they all feature the barbecue joint's featured moonshines, with flavors including Ole Smokey Apple, Ole Smokey Lemon and spicy-sweet Catdaddy Spiced Moonshine.
Looking for more summer treats? Here are some classic (and kid-friendly) Atlanta favorites.
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