Boomin’ ice cream cocktails

​A scoop of ice cream is served at Crank & Boom, located at the old Pepper Distillery Campus off of Manchester street, on July 15, 2015. Staff file photo.

By Christie Netherton

Craft beer and homemade ice cream is a surprising combination that will be sure to leave your taste buds tingling and wanting more. Crank and Boom does far more than keep it simple when it comes to their selection of ice cream and other assorted adult treats.

The lounge opened in June 2015 in a quaint and upcoming part of town on Manchester Road in the historic Distillery District here in Lexington. The ice cream originally came about in Mike and Toa Green’s Thai Orchid Café with a coconut flavored hand-crafted ice cream.

After realizing how popular their frozen creation had become, the owners decided to open an ice cream catering company called Crank and Boom. Their business expanded to include the lounge last summer and their growing popularity is bringing about plans to open a second location next spring.

The shop has nine signature ice cream flavors to choose from, including Kentucky Blackberry and Buttermilk and Bourbon and Honey, which will hit your taste buds with a burst of smooth flavor. All of their ice cream is made from all-natural, local ingredients.

But let’s get to the Boom part of the popular ice cream lounge because that’s why people are really obsessed with this place. Not only does Crank and Boom serve local craft beer and liquor such as West Sixth, Ethereal and Buffalo Trace, but they make some mean ice cream cocktails.

The West Sixth Cocoa Porter Float, with a 7 percent ABV has strong coffee and dark chocolate notes. Mixing this rich, dark porter with Crank and Boom’s homemade chocolate ice cream creates a fantastic float that emphasizes the chocolate flavors in the porter. The Coney Island Hard Root Beer Float is also one to try with a nice adult twist on a more classic ice cream treat.

And of course there’s one for the local liquor lovers, the Stout Dreams. This is made with Crank and Boom’s signature Coffee Stout flavored ice cream with a shot of espresso, brownie crumbs and salted caramel,  spiked with Kentucky’s Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream. Basically a dream come true for chocolate lovers. 

Even if you are not so adventurous with your beer tooth, the lounge still has plenty of selections of local beer, liquor, wine and some of their other signature cocktails. 

Anything you choose can be paired with a scoop of ice cream on the side, but definitely make sure to ask for recommendations on what pairs nicely together to get the ultimate Crank and Boom experience.

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