Pairing Challenge

Beer Versus Wine – The Perfect Vanilla Ice Cream Pairing

Congratulations to July’s Beer Versus Wine Challenge winner – KC Hop Talk!  Part of the honor includes coming up with August’s challenge.  Participants have until next Tuesday, August 12 to turn in their suggestion before we take it to a vote.  Winner gets to present September’s challenge.  For more on the rules, click here.

August is the month of the year when those of us in the Northern Hemisphere understand the weather will be just a little bit warmer, and we want to fill the days with as many fun outdoor activities as possible.  If you are like me, this is also the time of year when we are looking for ways to get away from the heat, and I can’t think of a better way to cool off than to sit down in a shady spot with a healthy serving of homemade ice cream.  Yes, ice cream that you make yourself … is there a better summer treat?  Some of my fondest memories from my childhood consist of eating homemade ice cream at a big social event at the park or under a shady tree in someone’s backyard.  It was always the highlight of the event to get the chance to eat ice cream that was made earlier in the day.

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

We had the type of ice cream freezer where you turned and turned the hand crack until you felt like your arm was going to fall off.  Even though there was a lot of work involved in producing ice cream with a hand crank ice cream freezer, nobody ever complained about taking their turn on the crank; especially, if they wanted to get a serving of ice cream later on.  My brothers and I turned it into a contest to see who could outlast the others and we would only stop when our parents said we’d turn the crank long enough.

Once the hard part of turning the crank was done the mixing paddle was taken out of the canister, which meant that was our cue to sneak a taste.  That first taste of ice cream right out of the freezer was the moment when you realized all of the effort was time well spent.  Even though it was only a taste, it would satisfy everyone until it was time to enjoy a bowl of your own.

Making Ice Cream the Old Fashioned Way

Several years ago I opted to replace my hand crank ice cream freezer with an electric version.  So, now I drag out the extension cord, and sit down to a with a cool beverage to reminisce over those days when I didn’t have this modern convenience to crank my homemade ice cream.

We need some consistency with the flavor for this challenge, so let’s focus the attention on one single flavor of ice cream.  I am going to stick with everyone’s favorite (statistically), and request pairing suggestions for vanilla ice cream.

I think this challenge is one where everyone can get involved in adding pairing suggestions, and I can’t wait to read the comments.

Who’s screaming?  We all love ice cream!  And what beer or wine are you pairing with it?