You may have heard, milkshakes are having a moment. People are lining up in Lower Manhattan for towering creations teeming with whole pieces of cake and decorated with the colorful contents of an entire candy jar. There’s no need to wait for an eye-catching drink-dessert hybrid, though. Rockefeller Center has more than a few cool treats of its own to shake up tradition.
At Bill’s Bar & Burger, the selection ranges from old-fashioned to over-the-top in true American fashion. The Peanut Butter Bomb takes the celebrated combo of peanut butter and chocolate and blends them into a shake so substantial, the extra gets served in a metal shaker on the side. The hot fudge and Reese’s Pieces adorning the outside of the glass seem outré until you see the Olympic Gold Medal, a limited edition shake created for the Summer Games that’s adorned with Golden Oreos, chocolate coins and a whole Twinkie, then dusted with gold sprinkles for added glitz. To really gild the lily, add an optional shot of liquor like Kahlua.
In that spirit, Bill’s “Bangin’ Shakes” are spiked with alcohol. The Creamsicle (vanilla ice cream, mandarin purée and Ketel One Orange) and the root beer float made with Coney Island Hard Root Beer scream good times on the boardwalk, while the Grande Esplanade, a salted caramel vanilla shake with a kick of Maker’s Mark, is more modern.
Purists will appreciate the simple decadence of La Maison du Chocolat’s frappés, a summer-only treat from the newly renovated Parisian boutique. The standard drink uses three scoops of housemade Guayaquil chocolate ice cream blended with milk and whipped cream. Fruitier versions are also available featuring mango and raspberry sorbets.
Jacques Torres is also about more than bonbons. The chocolatier offers a popular frozen hot chocolate that manages to harness the intensity of dark chocolate and transform it into a frothy, fudgy cooler that goes down easily.
For something a little more casual, masters of over-stuffed ice creams, Ben & Jerry’s, also make milkshakes. Combos include Cookie Cookie, a mix of the shop's famous Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Milk and Cookies ice creams, and the Berry Vanilla, a lighter option melding sorbet and ice cream.
