Crème de Liqueur’s Adults-Only Frozen Custard and Sorbet

by

Eat/Drink

Crème de Liqueur alcohol-infused ice cream custard is the brainchild of friends Elizabeth Nash, of Milwaukee, and Nisreen Galloway, of Boston. They met while studying at Emerson College and bonded over their love of food, and how the winning combination of spirits and ice cream were part of their upbringings.

“My family often hosted intimate dinner parties,” Nash says. “It was all about good food, conversation and bringing people together. A night, I vividly remember how they’d serve lemon sorbet with a with shot of vodka on the side for pouring over.”

Galloway remembers how her dad would pour spirits over his rum raisin or rocky road ice cream. “We loved how that was a tradition for the both of us, and we turned it into a dessert,” she adds.

With plenty of boozy slushies already on the market, Nash says they wanted to create an elevated experience with flavorful, rich, creamy frozen custard infused with spirits. In 2019, they began researching their venture and formulating recipes.

Galloway notes that alcohol-infused ice cream is a unique product, so they had to do diligent research into state and federal food and beverage laws. They started with four flagship flavors: Lemon Cream Vodka (vanilla ice cream custard blended with lemon-infused vodka and lemon zest), Chocolate Brownie Bourbon (chocolate ice cream custard with brownie bites and bourbon), Pistachio Amaretto (pistachios with sweet almond amaretto) and Vanilla Bean Horchata (vanilla bean ice cream custard with horchata rum).

Each Crème de Liqueur product is 2% alcohol by volume (ABV), just enough for a kick without overpowering other flavors. The sold their first scoops in 2021.

Building a Brand on the East and Fresh Coasts

Being based out of both Milwaukee and Boston, sourcing local ingredients from the spirits to the mix-ins lends to unique flavors that will vary slightly if you pick up the product in Milwaukee or in Boston.

“They will have different flavors because we’re using different distillers,” Galloway remarks. In Wisconsin, they team up with Central Standard to use their bourbon in Chocolate Brownie Bourbon. They also use spirits from Twisted Path Distillery. Crème de Liqueur products available in Boston are crafted with spirits from Bully Boy Distillers, Boston Harbor and Short Path distilleries.

They recently partnered with Simma’s Bakery for Spirited Raspberry Cheesecake; a limited Valentine’s Day release crafted with cheesecake ice cream custard infused with raspberry liqueur. Other Wisconsin partners include Joyaux Sweets.

Having their business split between Wisconsin and Massachusetts lends for opportunities to test new flavors in one location first to see what’s popular. Nash and Galloway enjoy creating new flavors and take suggestions from customers. 

“Recently we began coming up with other flavors that mimic the feel of cocktails,” says Galloway. Look for a Brandy Old Fashioned to be released in March, along with Cocoa Mint Brandy for St. Patrick’s Day. The latter will be available exclusively at Chef Pam’s Kitchen, in Waukesha, where Nash rents commercial kitchen space.

While Crème de Liqueur can be enjoyed on its own, Nash and Galloway also recommend putting a scoop on pie, using it in a sundae or for ice cream sandwiches, or turning hot chocolate into an adults-only treat by adding a scoop of Vanilla Bean Horchata. Espresso Martini can add a kick to coffee.

Crème de Liqueur is currently in 25 locations throughout Milwaukee. Galloway says the plan to expand their retail presence, and they’re receptive to restaurants and retail partners of all sizes. They also plan to add more dairy-free options; their current dairy-free flavor is Margarita Sorbet. Nash does pop-ups throughout Milwaukee at select Piggly Wiggly locations and Sendik’s on Downer. She’ll also be at Chef Pam’s Kitchen’s Winter Farmers Market.

For more information, visit cheerstoicecream.com, instagram.com/cremedeliqueur or facebook.com/cremedeliqueur.