It’s appropriate that a beer named Sue made by the local brewery Yazoo should be dressed in a black label like the man, Johnny Cash. This rich, smoky beer also plays a key role in my favorite ice cream at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. The Ohio-based shop with a James Beard award–winning owner opened its first location outside its home state in East Nashville. A line formed quickly out the door, and it seems to have stayed that way since. The ice cream called Yazoo Sue with Rosemary Beer Nuts inspired this deconstructed float version of that treat. The beer has a bitter nip that helps take the sweet edge off the ice cream and syrupy nuts. Chocolate, vanilla, and rosemary are like the June Carter to the beer’s Johnny Cash.
Ingredients
For the Wet Pecans
- ½ cup (50 g) pecans, broken into pieces
- ½ cup (120 ml) light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For the Floats
- 8 big scoops vanilla ice cream
- ¼ cup (60 ml) chocolate syrup
- 1 (750-ml) bottle or 2 (12-ounce/355-ml) bottles Yazoo SUE beer
- Whipped cream for garnish
How to Make It
- Rinse four pint glasses with water and place them in the freezer so they’ll turn frosty. Prepare the Wet Nuts
- In a saucepan, combine the pecans, corn syrup, vanilla, rosemary, and salt and heat the mixture over low for just a few minutes, until it is warm and soupy. Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool completely. Prepare the Floats
- In each glass, begin with a scoop of ice cream, top it with about ½ tablespoon each of chocolate and nuts, followed by a second scoop of ice cream and another spoonful each of chocolate and nuts. Pour the beer over the ice cream until the glass is nearly full. Garnish the floats with whipped cream and a final drizzle of chocolate before serving.
