While our hopes for Yuengling ice cream were crushed earlier this year, the beer ice cream dream is still alive and well at Exit Strategy, who know “no one likes warm beer.” Launched in 2013, Exit Strategy is the brainchild of Lisa Smith and Grafton Kent. Based in Savannah, Georgia, the company originally started with the plan to primarily sell wholesale. However, the popularity of their craft beer custards enabled them to open a retail location this month. Not only do they carry custard flavors like Chocolate Stout, Caramel Porter, and Belgian Triple, but Grapefruit IPA and Peach Sangria are also in the works.
Lisa, who started Exit Strategy as a way to decompress after long days at work as a pharmacist, has found her background particularly helpful in crafting the frozen treats. By keeping the alcohol content low, they are able to keep the boozy flavor while making a smoother finished product that is less likely to suffer from freezer burn. We’d like a prescription, please! Not all of us have the benefit of nearly year-round warm weather, but we think you can eat ice cream no matter the season–especially if it’s made with beer. While we’d love to order a truckload of Exit Strategy’s creamy creations, for now we’ll just have to settle for making our own. Lisa and Grafton recommend using a frozen custard style ice cream for your base and to take risks with your choice of beer—although they suggest porters and stouts.
Make your own Guinness Ice Cream:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 ½ cups evaporated milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup Guinness Stout
In a heavy saucepan whisk together the water and the cornstarch and simmer the mixture over moderate heat, whisking, for 2 minutes. Add the milks, the salt, and the sugar, heat the mixture over moderately low heat, whisking, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the sugar is dissolved, and remove the pan from the heat. Let the mixture cool completely, stir in the Guinness, and freeze the mixture in an ice-cream freezer according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
For an easier way to get your fix, there’s always the beer float. Just put several scoops of your preferred ice cream—vanilla is the easiest, but don’t be afraid to be adventurous. Try caramel-fudge, coffee, chocolate, or even sorbet—and top with beer.
Some recommended combinations:
- Guinness + coffee ice cream
- Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout + vanilla ice cream
- Berlinerweiss + raspberry sorbet