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Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/524520
www.cheersonline.com 37 June 2015 • Bartenders are crafting boozy blended treats with bourbon, rum, liqueurs, coffee and seasonal produce. Whether guests are ordering them as dessert stand-ins, guilty pleasures or as an indulgent cool down, these spirited concoctions bring a little bit of summer to the bar. Play, a 194-seat, retro American restaurant at the 779-room resort The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, CO, has a menu of Premium Shakes that tie in with its playful, whimsical take on cuisine. "Our guests love a good after-dinner drink," explains director of food and beverage C.W. Craig Reed. "And this is more than a novelty; it is something that brings them back to their childhood." The restaurant, which also includes onsite activities such as bowling, shuffl eboard and game monitors, offers six shakes. The Perfect 300 incorporates cake-batter ice cream, vanilla rum and sprinkles; the Orangesicle uses mandarin vodka, Grand Marnier, vanilla ice cream and orange juice; and the Peanut Butter & Jelly is made with peanut butter ice cream, Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey and Chambord. The boozy sips sell for $12.50 each, and currently account for 15% of Play's daily business. "We thought we could have some fun taking something as delicious as a shake and adding a kick to it," Reed says. Play also incorporates seasonal produce into the frozen treats, such as the Purple Pin, with gin, crème de violette, mint, vanilla ice cream and fresh raspberries. Another version features local Palisades peaches. The Borgata Baking Co. at the 2,002-room Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, NJ, offers more than "sweets and eats." The 30-seat bake shop also boasts a Sips With a Kick menu. Priced at $12, each of the current selections includes the concept's house-made vanilla gelato. The Ultimate Root Beer Float mixes the gelato with oatmeal stout beer and whiskey; the Drunken Monkey uses rum, bananas and honey; and the Frozen Cappuccino has Irish cream liqueur and Kahlua. "These drinks are 'eye-catchers,' served in a mason jar with a handle and a straw," notes Borgata vice president of food and beverage Becky Shultz. What's more, guests can take home the Mason jar as a souvenir of their trip. Other fl avors are in the works, including recipes that include Borgata Baking Co.'s New Jersey blueberry cheesecake gelato and red velvet cake gelato. "At this time, the sky is the limit; we're excited to continue ideating unique recipes for our guests to enjoy," Shultz says. SEASONAL BLENDS A weekly promotion creates blender buzz at Rosebud American Kitchen & Bar, a 150-seat comfort food restaurant in Somerville, MA. On Milkshake Mondays, the spot serves up Up There's nothing be er than a frosty shake in the su er—unle it's a frosty shake with a spirited kick. The "Sips With a Kick" at The Borgata Baking Co. in Atlantic City's Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa include a Frozen Cappuccino (from left), the Ultimate Root Beer Float and the Drunken Monkey.