Ingredients
Drink
- 4generous scoops good vanilla ice cream
- 50 mlwhisky
- or 50 ml Kahlúa, Amarula or peppermint liqueur
- 2 tbspcream or milk, if needed
To serve
- a large wine glass or a tall glass
- a thick straw and a long spoon
- grated chocolate or a wafer, optional
Directions
- Use a good vanilla ice cream with real dairy and a decent fat content. A cheap ice cream with a lot of air and vegetable fat gives a thin, foamy, disappointing drink.
- Take the ice cream out of the freezer for five or ten minutes before blending. Slightly softened ice cream blends into a smooth thick drink in seconds.
- Add too much and the drink becomes thin and will not hold, which is the commonest fault. Whisky is the one to make if you are making it once.
- Use a blended whisky rather than a fine single malt. The subtleties of an expensive malt are entirely lost in ice cream, and a smooth blend works better.
- Put the softened ice cream and the whisky in a blender and blend briefly. Blend it for only ten or fifteen seconds. Stop blending as soon as it is smooth.
- Serve it in a large wine glass or a tall glass, chilled if you can. A chilled glass keeps it thick for considerably longer.
- Serve it with a thick straw and a long spoon, since it is both drunk and eaten. Serve it immediately, since it melts and separates within ten minutes. Now a note about its strength.
Technique
- It has been a South African restaurant fixture since the 1970s.
- Too much alcohol lowers the freezing point and thins the drink.
- Blend for seconds only, since over-blending warms and thins it.
Substitutions
- Kahlúa, Amarula or peppermint liqueur in place of whisky.
- A whisk and a bowl in place of a blender.
Variations
- Made with Kahlúa, for a coffee version.
- Made with Amarula, the South African cream liqueur.
- Made with peppermint liqueur.
History
A South African restaurant institution since the 1970s, ordered as dessert and drink at once, most often with whisky.
Frequently asked questions
What is Dom Pedro?
Dom Pedro is a cocktail from South Africa: vanilla ice cream blended with whisky or Kahlúa, drunk with a straw. A South African restaurant institution since the 1970s, ordered as dessert and drink at once, most often with whisky.
How long does Dom Pedro take to make?
Dom Pedro takes 5 min of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes 1 drink. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Dom Pedro?
Yes, within limits. Kahlúa, Amarula or peppermint liqueur in place of whisky. A whisk and a bowl in place of a blender.
What is the most important thing to get right in Dom Pedro?
Use a blended whisky rather than a fine single malt. The subtleties of an expensive malt are entirely lost in ice cream, and a smooth blend works better.
