9 Ice Cream and Drink Pairings That Will Make Your Evening

Complement the light, citrus-y notes of a standard American pale ale with the fruity undertones of Cherry Garcia. (Or are they overtones? There’s quite a lot of cherry in there.) Enjoy them separately, or try a pour-over for a particularly wild ride.

Ever since IPAs became the stars of the craft beer world, we’ve been pairing ice cream with them with reckless abandon. The key is finding a flavor that balances out that hoppy bitterness, and we think the sweet-and-salty euphoria of Americone Dream is just the ticket.

Let’s take a walk on the dark side, shall we? Complement the coffee and chocolate undertones of a classic stout with, well, more coffee and chocolate. This flavor was practically tailor-made to pair with a dark, bold stout.

Hard cider is having a moment right now, and we are loving it. Whether you choose a sweet or a dry variety, the apple-y flavor has a natural ally with cinnamon. Like the sweet cinnamon flavor of Cinnamon Buns, for example.

Lovers of crisp, refreshing white wines will appreciate the smooth, crisp nuttiness of Pistachio Pistachio. In particular, the nuttiness of many Chardonnay varieties will compliment this flavor so nicely you might even want to make a wine float. Or not, that might be weird.

What could be better to accompany your dive into the rich depths of red wine euphoria than a similarly decadent chocolate dessert? Pair your Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir with Chocolate Therapy and you may end up with red lips, but you won’t have any regrets.

Play mixologist for the evening and whip up your best Manhattan or Old Fashioned. Among the earthy, spicy notes of your whiskey, bourbon, or rye, you’ll find some caramel-y undertones that will play magnificently well with your bowl of Salted Caramel Core.

Whether you’re throwing together a quick gin and tonic or carefully crafting the perfect gin martini, the mint in Chocolate Peppermint Crunch compliments that juniper-y, Christmas tree-like flavor incredibly well. Plus, chocolate.

Who hasn’t haphazardly mixed orange juice, pineapple juice, cranberry juice and vodka all together for a sweet, boozy treat? Since any vodka and fruit juice drink has plenty of bold flavors in it already, we say classic Vanilla is the best ice cream pairing. Keep it simple and don’t forget to have a glass of water before bed.