Intoxicating Ice Cream
Summertime’s Favorite Dessert Isn’t Just For Kids
Words by Jennifer Simonson Photos by Parker Thornton
What is the best way to end a hot summer day in Texas: cocktails or ice cream? An East Austin ice cream shop combines the two, so you don’t have to choose.
Make no mistake, this is not your granddaughter’s ice cream shop. Baristas at Prohibition Creamery not only scoop creamy handmade ice cream, but they also know how to make the perfect Manhattan. There are no colorful sprinkle decorations, cartoon animals or candy-striped wallpaper at this ice cream parlor. The restored 1920s bungalow on East 7th Street with brass accents, dark wood and dangling light bulbs creates a simple, yet elegant, aesthetic much like the ice cream they serve.
Owner Laura Aidan experimented for three years to create, then perfect, her boozy ice cream. Her signature bourbon ice cream made with Knob Creek is the most popular. The Tiramisu Ice Cream made with homemade mascarpone cheese, brandy, Amaretto and Patron XO Cafe is a close second.
For teetotalers, they serve classics like Vanilla, Dark Chocolate, Cookie Dough and Cheesecake. But it is Aidan’s twist on the classics, like combining El Silencio Espadin and Madagascar Vanilla to make a Mezcal Vanilla, then pouring a shot of Mezcal over it to enhance the smoky flavor that bring people back.
After ten years in the software development business, Aidan wanted a change. Turning to her passion for feeding people, she began making ice cream in her kitchen. One afternoon her husband asked her to make him some bourbon ice cream. She grabbed a bottle from their liquor cart, whipped up some ice cream, and they both loved it.
“Once that light bulb went off, I looked at our liquor cart which was quite extensive. Amaretto, cointreau, Baileys, Grand Marnier, all these things would work for ice cream,” she exclaimed.
Aidan attended ice cream courses at Penn State University to perfect the art of creating libatious creamy creations. Her analytical background makes her a natural at the science behind infusing spirits into ice cream.
Aidan admits, “I am always geeking out in the kitchen doing math… if the liquor has this much percentage alcohol, then what percent of protein and fat do I need to add to have to make a delicious ice cream that isn’t too fatty and has the perfect texture?”
The result of her experimentation is a continuously rotating list of small batch ice cream flavors made from scratch. With creations like Sangria Sorbet, Triple Bourbon Milkshake or a Deconstructed Old Fashioned with Bourbon ice cream, Peychaud’s bitters marshmallow and Luxardo cherry, Prohibition Creamery’s appeal will last long after the dog days of summer.
Native Knowledge: Stop by for Happy Hour from 3 to 7pm Tuesday through Friday and enjoy $6 specialty cocktails like Tamarind Whiskey Sour, French 77 1/2 and Classic Margarita, or buy two scoops of ice cream and get a free handmade waffle cone.
Contact:
(512) 922-1449
1407 E 7th St.
prohibitioncreamery.com
