Orange Vanilla Bourbon Root Beer Floats

Sip on these orange vanilla bourbon root beer floats and feel like a kid again with the nostalgic flavors of a root beer float! Made with rich orange and vanilla extracts from Nielsen-Massey, these adult floats will be your new favorite summer cocktail.

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Ah summertime, sweet summertime.

Gentle breezes, the smell of sweet cut grass and wonderful warm weather, it just begs for cold cocktails! And is there anything better than summer cocktails that include ice cream? Why yes- summer cocktails that include the delicious sweet creamy Madagascar bourbon vanilla extract that has velvety after tones, paired with the always wonderful citrus notes of the pure orange extract.

Now, I’m no stranger to the fine extracts from Nielsen-Massey Vanillas. I grew up in Chicago, so in terms of vanilla extracts, I’ve loved and used Nielsen-Massey Vanillas– for literally as long as I can remember (the over 100 year old family owned and operated company is located in Illinois). I have always loved playing around with flavors and adding unique flavors to things, and one of the best ways to add rich flavors to things without using a ton of ingredients is by using extracts.

Root beer floats are such a summertime drink. And with the countless BBQs and enjoying time outside, it’s always nice to have a little recipe that can serve as both a dessert and as a cocktail, an ice cream cocktail if you will. The secret to making good cocktails is to know what flavors go together. Earthy root beer is complimented by the sweet notes of Madagascar bourbon vanilla extract, and that of course goes perfectly with a splash of bourbon. The unique twist in this cocktail is the few drops of orange extract, it adds a twist of brightness and it brings the whole cocktail together. And since today is Five Ingredient Friday – these floats only have five ingredients!

Something that I like to do when making these cocktails is to scoop vanilla ice cream ahead of time onto a baking sheet and then freeze it, that way when I’m ready to make the cocktails I don’t have to sit there scooping, I can just make all the drinks at the same time.  After you’re done making these adult root beer floats stir them with a spoon (I always love to sneak a spoonful of ice cream).

[Tweet “Cool down this summer with these delicious orange vanilla bourbon root beer floats from @sweetphi #summercocktails”]

Next time you need a deliciously refreshing summer cocktail, look no further than these orange vanilla bourbon root beer floats.

Orange Vanilla Bourbon Root Beer Floats

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Print Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 float

Ingredients

• Per float:
• 1/4 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey pure orange extract
• 3 small scoops vanilla ice cream
• 1 oz bourbon
• 3/4-1 cup root beer

Instructions

• Start by measuring out extracts and putting them in the bottom of a glass.
• Next add in the ice cream scoops, pour in the bourbon, and then slowly pour in the root beer until it bubbles and foams at the top.
• Stir the float a couple of times, then serve and enjoy!

Notes

The recipe is for one individual flat, make as many as desired using the same recipe 🙂