How to Make a Boozy, Ice Cream Float With Cold Brew

Dessert is undoubtedly the evening’s best course, but cocktail hour comes in at a close second. This drink has the best of both worlds. The Coffee Delight is a boozy coffee float with caramel sweetness from aged rum and rich Cognac, bitterness from cold brew coffee, and a big scoop of vanilla ice cream to top it all off. The drink evolves in the glass — the first few sips have refreshingly bitter notes from the coffee, and as the ice cream quickly melts with the drink, it becomes sweet and silky. 

Frequently asked questions

What is cold brew coffee?

There seems to be a new way of brewing coffee each year — AeroPress, pour-over, moka pot, instant coffee, and good old-fashioned drip coffee — but no method made a bigger splash than cold brew. Made by simply steeping ground coffee in water for hours using a cold brew coffee maker, the flavors and essential oils in the coffee grounds slowly infuse into the water, yielding a super flavorful cup of joe.  

What is Cognac? 

Cognac is brandy that is made in the Cognac region in southwest France. It’s distilled from white grapes and aged in oak for at least two years. The oak imparts silky deliciousness that helps round out the high-proof spirit. It’s delicious sipped slowly after dinner but also great in a cocktail like this one, or a classic drink like a Sidecar.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen 

Cold brew coffee has brighter acidity compared to other drip, French press, or pour-over methods. While the zippy taste of cold brew helps counter the sweeter notes in this drink, any type of cold coffee will work well here — you can even use an Americano, a shot of espresso diluted with water. This drink can easily be made decaf as well because, after all, it is a drink fit for dessert.