Try Wisconsin’s Famous Ice Cream Cocktails at these 7 spots

Discover seven places across Wisconsin where you can try delectable ice cream cocktails. 

Wisconsin is famous as the Dairy State, and any Wisconsinite has seen Packers fans in their famous cheesehead hats, but did you know that the Wisconsin love of all things dairy extends even to cocktail bars? While residents of other states may enjoy cocktails made with a little cream or milk, Wisconsinites take it to the next level—with ice cream!

That’s right. For the unfamiliar, it’s a time-honored Wisconsin tradition to modify the recipes for cocktails traditionally made with milk or cream, like the Grasshopper or the Brandy Alexander, by substituting delicious, hand-dipped ice cream! No one is sure why or how this tradition got started (although, really, do you need a reason?). Wisconsin’s legacy as America’s Dairyland and the fact that America’s first blender (a key tool for making proper ice cream cocktails) was invented in Racine may have something to do with it.

But reading about ice cream drinks (as they’re known) is one thing. To truly understand this chilly and delicious legacy, you’ll have to slurp for yourself. Wisconsin’s famous supper clubs are well known for their ice cream drinks, but you can find them all over the state. Here are some especially scrumptious places to get started:

1. Feil’s Supper Club

N8743 WI-73, Randolph

For over 50 years, Feil’s Supper Club in Randolph has been a Wisconsin institution, serving up Badger State favorites like walleye and broasted chicken, plus Bavarian specialties and an unlimited soup and salad bar. But where would a classic supper club be without ice cream drinks? Here, as in all things, Feil’s sticks to tradition with drinks like their Brandy Alexander, with a few wild cards, like their “Andes Mint” ice cream cocktail, which mimics the classic candy!

2. Black Otter Supper Club

503 South Nash Street, Hortonville

Family-operated since 1972, the Black Otter is a Hortonville tradition famous for its massive “extreme cut” prime rib. The less carnivorous or those with smaller appetites will find chicken, seafood, and more on their menu—but be sure to finish up with an ice cream drink! The Black Otter recommends an after-dinner drink for all first-time visitors, and their signature ice cream drinks are also available without alcohol so everyone can get in on the fun.

3. At Random Cocktail Lounge

2501 South Delaware Avenue, Milwaukee

Ice cream drinks are a retro classic, so where better to enjoy them than a cocktail bar that’s been going strong since 1964? At Milwaukee’s At Random Cocktail Lounge, diners can choose from a wide variety of cocktails, but the ice cream drinks are a particular house specialty. In fact, since the pandemic, they even offer an “ice cream social” on their patio, with pop-up hotdog carts, a cozy fire pit, and, of course, ice cream drinks galore!

Photo courtesy of Matt Haas/At Random.

4. Bryant’s

1579 South 9th Street, Milwaukee

Another one of Milwaukee’s finest cocktail spots, Bryant’s started its life as a beer pub affiliated with the Miller Brewery. Somewhere along the line—likely in the 1930s—they started experimenting with cocktails, and the rest, as they say, is history. Today, Bryant’s is home to a jaw-dropping 450 cocktail options for you to choose from—including some of Wisconsin’s finest ice cream drinks! Try a classic like a pink squirrel, which was invented at Bryant’s in the 1940s, or be bold and ask the bartender to blend up something unique!

Photo courtesy of Jenny Bohr/Bryant’s.

5. The Village Supper Club

1725 South Shore Drive, Delavan

One of Wisconsin’s oldest continuously operating supper clubs since its construction in 1882, at The Village Supper Club in Delavan, ice cream drinks are more than just a treat—they saved the supper club! In 2021, the building was in danger of being turned into condos when it was bought by Allan and Loretta Kaplan, who had been savoring ice cream Brandy Alexanders there every summer for years and wanted to keep the tradition going. Today, you can swing by for steaks, seafood, lakeside views, and, of course, creamy and delicious ice cream drinks.

Photo courtesy of The Village Supper Club.

6. Club Chalet

4642 Nicolet Drive, Green Bay

With an exterior inspired by an Alpine ski chalet, Club Chalet is a little slice of a mountain vacation right in Green Bay. Club Chalet is one of the oldest supper clubs in the state, celebrating its 80-year anniversary in 2024. Why not toast this piece of Wisconsin history with an ice cream drink? Club Chalet gives you plenty to choose from, the most in Wisconsin, with over forty varieties! Many are seasonal, so you’ll have to make a return trip to try them all!

7. Joey Gerard’s

5601 Broad Street, Greendale

Part of the Bartolotta family of restaurants, Joey Gerard’s pays homage to the golden age of supper clubs. Diners can expect a hearty helping of Badger State nostalgia with this Greendale establishment’s mid-century-modern inspired interiors, including a nod to the supper clubs of the North Woods in the form of “Montague,” the moose head who presides over the fireplace. Indulge in a retro feast of steak, seafood, and an old-school relish tray, but save room for dessert–the ice cream drinks include a pink squirrel, a grasshopper, and their signature “Pal Joey,” made with multiple coffee liqueurs, creme de cacao, and amaretto—sweet indeed!

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.