National Ice Cream Day was this past Sunday. Wise of them to do it on a Sunday, don’t you think? A Sunday afternoon stroll or drive? Maybe a post-prandial cone in the evening? Americana at its best, one of the universal experiences.
Clementine’s Creamery just opened its second location, on DeMun with the green park that’s part of Concordia Seminary’s grounds just across the street. It’s a very strollable neighborhood. I dropped by at an opening soiree to inspect the premises and, yes, have some ice cream.
They were pouring sparkling wine, but I wanted ice cream first. As I inspected the case and the sign on the wall behind it, a memory popped up. Unfortunately they were out of the blood orange sorbet I’d hoped for. Now, Clementine’s, if you weren’t aware, is known for its “naughty” flavors, meaning alcohol-laced, as well as its low overrun (not a lot of air whipped into it) and its careful selecting of ingredients it uses. They also do a lot of flavors for a general audience, but I asked for a dish with a single scoop of Old Fashioned ice cream.
The Old Fashioned has been around as a cocktail for more than a century. It’s a simple one. Bourbon or rye whiskey, sugar, bitters, perhaps a splash of carbonated water, and an orange garnish. Modern variations put the orange in with the muddling of the sugar and the bitters together. It was Bess Truman’s favorite pre-dinner drink, which is enough endorsement for me.
So I took the flute of sparkling wine, which was Wycliff Brut from California, and poured a little over and around the ice cream. Eureka! Just what I was hoping for.
This doesn’t seem to work as well with the milk-based ice creams, but I’d encourage experimentation with citrusy flavors and berry sorbets. It’s a caffeine-free version of the Italian affogato, which pairs vanilla ice cream with a shot of hot espresso.
What had flashed in my head was a post-theatre stop in New York at a spot across Broadway from Lincoln Center, Cafe Fiorello, where we had grapefruit granita with a sparkling wine, exquisite on a hot summer night.
It’s an easy dessert for an impromptu get-together, one I’m going to play around with more. You’re welcome
Clementine’s Creamery
1637 S. 18th St., St. Louis
and
730 Demun Ave., Clayton
314-858-6100
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