When's the last time you had a root beer float?

Last Friday Steph and I went to BJ's Brewhouse.  It's one of those typical corporate restaurants with a beer brewing theme.  They offer a wide selection of many styles of beer with names that I can only describe as obviously from some kind of corporate focus group meeting.  Names like Piranha Pale Ale which is very hoppy so it has bite, BJ's Blonde with a picture of a blonde girl in the bikini, you get the idea.  I wasn't in the mood for a beer so instead I ordered a cocktail.  It's obviously hot in Austin in July and a root beer float sounded like a nice way to cool down but instead how would you like an Irish root beer?  Here's how to make one at home and enjoy sitting back and remembering those lazy days of summer when you were a kid.

Take a 16 oz. beer mug chilled in the freezer and pour a bottle of your favorite root beer.  I used IBC but any high quality, or even low quality : ), root beer will do.  Then finish it off with some Irish Cream and Irish Whiskey.  I'll give you a recipe below to make your own fresh Irish cream but I used O'Mara's Irish Cream and Bushmills Irish Whiskey.

To make a quart of your own Irish Cream, which is a great heart starter in the morning with your coffee : ), just combine the following and stir.

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 regular can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup Irish whiskey  ( I like Bushmills but Jameson will do in a pinch. )
• A spoon of instant coffee
• 2 big squirts of chocolate syrup ( or a little more if your wife is chocolate inclined. )
• A spoon each of almond and vanilla

I think the best part of the drink is the froth that floats to the top of the glass.  It has a taste of ice cream sweetness turning to a little Irish burn from the whiskey.  It'll make you dance a jig and write poetry about drinking...

While we were at BJ's Brewhouse we also ordered a deep dish pizza with pepperoni and meatballs.  The crust is a nice soft texture inside with a little bit of crunch from the burnt cheese.  Their sauce is spicy with a little heat to it and they add chunks of stewed tomato on top as well.  The sweetness of the tomato didn't always play well with the savory parts but overall it was a good pie.

We finished the meal with their Triple Chocolate Pizookie.  It's a big brownie cooked and served in this shallow tin dog dish looking thing with a big scoop of chocolate ice cream and a square of Ghirardelli's chocolate.  Very rich, very decadent and quite the lady pleaser.  Steph was all ooooh and ahhhh over it.

The tab was about $40 so not too bad and at least they gave me a good idea for the cocktail.

That's it for now.  Hope you enjoyed it...