Boozy Root Beer Float
Published
Published
A childhood favorite gets an adult upgrade in this boozy root beer float recipe! Instead of simply root beer and ice cream, this drink includes some Kahlua for an added tasty twist. Finish it off with a bit of whipped cream and a cherry to give it an extra fun dessert-like feel.
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I grew up enjoying root beer floats all summer long. They were always one of my favorite treats! I’ve reimagined them in many different ways, like root beer float granitas and root beer float popsicles. Today’s boozy root beer float recipe takes the classic float with vanilla ice cream and root beer and adds a shot of Kahlua for an adults-only twist. Of course, you can simply skip the Kahlua to make this recipe family-friendly and still have a super delicious drink!
Helpful Tips & Variations
- Everything should be cold before assembly. Make sure to keep the ice cream frozen until just before scooping, chill the root beer, and the mugs. The root beer will melt the ice cream pretty quickly.
- The toppings are optional. Technically, a root beer float is just ice cream and root beer, but I always top mine with whipped cream and a cherry, because YUM.
- Use a different alcohol. Feel free to swap the Kahlúa with dark rum, Bailey’s, RumChata, or vanilla vodka.
- Try a different flavored ice cream. Root beer floats don’t have to be made with vanilla ice cream. Try it with butter pecan, cherry, or chocolate.
- Use a different soda. Technically, it won’t be a root beer float anymore, but this drink is also delicious using a different soda like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, or cream soda.
Boozy Root Beer Float
Ingredients
- 6 scoops vanilla ice cream
- 3 ounces Kahlúa
- 16 ounces chilled root beer
- piped whipped cream, for topping
- 2 maraschino cherries, for topping
Instructions
- Place 2 beer mugs or fountain glasses in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Place 2 to 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream in each mug.
- Pour 1 & 1/2 ounces (1 shot) of Kahlúa on top of the ice cream.
- Slowly poor 8 ounces of cold root beer into each glass, allowing the foam to rise and settle before pouring more so it doesn't overflow.
- Pipe whipped cream on top of the root beer floats and garnish each with a maraschino cherry. Enjoy immediately.
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!How to Make a Boozy Root Beer Float Step by Step
- Freeze and fill the fountain glasses with ice cream. Place 2 beer mugs or fountain glasses in the freezer for 15 minutes. Place 2 to 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream in each mug.
- Add the Kahlúa. Pour 1 & 1/2 ounces (1 shot) of Kahlúa on top of the ice cream.
- Pour in the root beer. Slowly poor 8 ounces of cold root beer into each glass, allowing the foam to rise and settle before pouring more so it doesn’t overflow.
- Top with whipped cream and a cherry. Pipe whipped cream on top of the root beer floats and garnish each with a maraschino cherry. Enjoy immediately.
A Note On Mug Size
The size of your mugs will determine the amount of ingredients. The boozy root beer float recipe as written works well using 2, 16-ounce mugs, which is the perfect size for 2-3 scoops of ice cream, 8 ounces of root beer, and 1 & 1/2 ounces of alcohol in each one. Depending on the size of your glasses, you might need to adjust the amounts.
Note that because of this, the nutritional information will vary depending on the size of your mug, the brand of ice cream, and the size of your ice cream scoops.
More Ice Cream Recipes
- Mason Jar Ice Cream
- Shirley Temple Ice Cream Float
- Strawberry Shortcake Milkshake
- Affogato
- Samoa Cookies Milkshake
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
