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Prohibition Creamery
Prohibition Creamery
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Where to Find Top Notch Boozy Desserts

Meet the dynamic duo of sugar and alcohol

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Prohibition Creamery
| Prohibition Creamery/Facebook

Why enjoy one vice when you can have two? Dessert and booze — it may be one of the most underrated food pairings, but this Eater guide aims to change that. We’re highlighting dessert destinations doing it right be that alcohol-infused ice creams, liqueur-soaked cakes, or treats that simply tickle your taste buds with a familiar spirit.

From an afternoon snack with just a hint of alcohol at Sugar Mama's Bakeshop to a light and slushy happy hour at Gelateria Gemelli to a booze-soaked frosty-sweet (ID-required) evening at Prohibition Creamery, there’s something for everyone. Here are our favorite sweet spots in town that plate, scoop, and pour desserts made with alcohol. In other words, 14 reasons not to skip dessert.

The restaurants, bakeries, and bars listed below are not ranked. If your favorite spot is missing from the list, let us know on the tipline, in the comments below, or start a post over on the Eater Austin forum.

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Prohibition Creamery

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In a marriage made in heaven, alcohol and ice cream come together seamlessly at this East Seventh Street spot. Boozy ice creams, sorbets, and milkshakes headline the menu. (Need an extra kick to your scoops? Add an alcoholic pour-over like espresso liqueur). There's even bourbon in the whipped cream.

Robert J. Lerma/EATX

Juliet Ristorante

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This Barton Spring beauty’s modern take on Italian cuisine shines bright in its approach to tiramisu. The ladyfingers-mascarpone mousse-coffee cremeux-kahlua gelée-layered stunner is served as a parfait, accompanied by two puffs of meringue.

VOX Table

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Seductive meets sweet in Vox Table's Coco Sundae. Executive pastry chef Annabelle Turner's beautiful creation includes almond brittle, aquafaba meringue drops, and bourbon cherries.

Buenos Aires Cafe, Este

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Buenos Aires Cafe’s applause-worthy version of the sweet piononos roulade is made from cake soaked in Kahlúa liqueur and coffee then rolled with strawberries, whipped cream, and dulce de leche (which loosely and appropriately translates to “milk candy”). It’s available at both the East Sixth Street and Bee Caves locations.

Amy's Ice Cream

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This Austin-grown family-friendly ice cream chain has a wicked good side as seen in its past selections of booze-fortified frozen treats including Guinness, Sweet Cream with Shiner Bock, Amaretto Peach, Berry Colada, (512) Brewing Pecan Porter, and Tito's the Dude. Flavors rotate, so try them when you see them.

Chez Zee

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Ladies who lunch, brunchers, and others in the know return again and again to this Northwest Hills institution for their sweet fix. The bistro/bakery/bar whips up a rebellious Godiva Leches Cake topped with Chocolate Godiva Liqueur, an Italian cream cake that flirts ever so sweetly with Amaretto, and a chocolate silk pie made with Kahlua.

Péché

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This downtown French-inspired absinthe bar also embraces a tipsy take on nostalgic milkshakes. The current menu includes three adult versions of the childhood classic including the absinthe and cherry liqueur fueled Péché, the rum-heavy Bananas Foster, and the Cafe Alexander with brandy, creme de cacao, and St. George NOLA Coffee Liqueur.

The artful Tobacco Cream masterfully brings together the flavors of tobacco, scotch, pecan, chocolate, and smoked blueberry jam, which has secured its place as one of Uchiko’s signature desserts.

Odd Duck

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Executive pastry chef Susana Querejazu’s title as one of the city’s top sweets mavens is underscored in Odd Duck’s coffee croissant made with pecan, whiskey, and milk jam. Find it on the dessert menu.

Gelateria Gemelli

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The East Sixth Street frosty treat and cocktail destination serves up a beerfogato—an after-hours affogato that drowns gelato in Austin Beerworks Black Thunder. Or if you’re looking for something lighter, order a Sgroppino, which merrily mingles sorbetto, gin, and prosecco into a slushy libation.

Nightcap

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The team behind this dessert-focused Old West Austin bar gave five familiar milkshakes a boozy makeover, and we thank them. (Check out the peanut butter and jelly-inspired shake spiked with Deep Eddy vodka.) You’ll find an adult version of a rootbeer float too.

Nadia Chaudhury/EATX

Austin Cake Ball

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The wide range of bite-size confections offered by both area locations includes a tiramisu ball made with Italian espresso, sweet cream, mascarpone, pure coffee extract, espresso buttercream, a touch of Kahlua, and dusting of Callebaut cocoa.

Sugar Mama's Bakeshop Eastside

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This ain't your mama’s frosting. The Frida cupcake has a coffee liqueur buttercream frosting, the Margarita comes with tequila lime frosting, and the Marilyn Monroe is topped with Madagascar bourbon vanilla buttercream. The Black and Tan delivers a double dose of booze with Guinness Stout cake and vanilla cream cheese frosting swirled with Irish Cream liqueur. Not a fan of cupcakes? The Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie Bar has a pleasing whisper of bourbon.

Halcyon Coffee, Bar & Lounge

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Caffeine and cocktails collide at this relaxed downtown spot. Satiate your sweet tooth with a Thin Mint (creme de cacao + creme de menthe + vanilla ice cream) or opt for a white and dark chocolate espresso martini. The bartenders can also spike your hot chocolate—just ask.

Prohibition Creamery

In a marriage made in heaven, alcohol and ice cream come together seamlessly at this East Seventh Street spot. Boozy ice creams, sorbets, and milkshakes headline the menu. (Need an extra kick to your scoops? Add an alcoholic pour-over like espresso liqueur). There's even bourbon in the whipped cream.

Robert J. Lerma/EATX

Juliet Ristorante

This Barton Spring beauty’s modern take on Italian cuisine shines bright in its approach to tiramisu. The ladyfingers-mascarpone mousse-coffee cremeux-kahlua gelée-layered stunner is served as a parfait, accompanied by two puffs of meringue.

VOX Table

Seductive meets sweet in Vox Table's Coco Sundae. Executive pastry chef Annabelle Turner's beautiful creation includes almond brittle, aquafaba meringue drops, and bourbon cherries.

Buenos Aires Cafe, Este

Buenos Aires Cafe’s applause-worthy version of the sweet piononos roulade is made from cake soaked in Kahlúa liqueur and coffee then rolled with strawberries, whipped cream, and dulce de leche (which loosely and appropriately translates to “milk candy”). It’s available at both the East Sixth Street and Bee Caves locations.

Amy's Ice Cream

This Austin-grown family-friendly ice cream chain has a wicked good side as seen in its past selections of booze-fortified frozen treats including Guinness, Sweet Cream with Shiner Bock, Amaretto Peach, Berry Colada, (512) Brewing Pecan Porter, and Tito's the Dude. Flavors rotate, so try them when you see them.

Chez Zee

Ladies who lunch, brunchers, and others in the know return again and again to this Northwest Hills institution for their sweet fix. The bistro/bakery/bar whips up a rebellious Godiva Leches Cake topped with Chocolate Godiva Liqueur, an Italian cream cake that flirts ever so sweetly with Amaretto, and a chocolate silk pie made with Kahlua.

Péché

This downtown French-inspired absinthe bar also embraces a tipsy take on nostalgic milkshakes. The current menu includes three adult versions of the childhood classic including the absinthe and cherry liqueur fueled Péché, the rum-heavy Bananas Foster, and the Cafe Alexander with brandy, creme de cacao, and St. George NOLA Coffee Liqueur.

Uchiko

The artful Tobacco Cream masterfully brings together the flavors of tobacco, scotch, pecan, chocolate, and smoked blueberry jam, which has secured its place as one of Uchiko’s signature desserts.

Odd Duck

Executive pastry chef Susana Querejazu’s title as one of the city’s top sweets mavens is underscored in Odd Duck’s coffee croissant made with pecan, whiskey, and milk jam. Find it on the dessert menu.

Gelateria Gemelli

The East Sixth Street frosty treat and cocktail destination serves up a beerfogato—an after-hours affogato that drowns gelato in Austin Beerworks Black Thunder. Or if you’re looking for something lighter, order a Sgroppino, which merrily mingles sorbetto, gin, and prosecco into a slushy libation.

Nightcap

The team behind this dessert-focused Old West Austin bar gave five familiar milkshakes a boozy makeover, and we thank them. (Check out the peanut butter and jelly-inspired shake spiked with Deep Eddy vodka.) You’ll find an adult version of a rootbeer float too.

Nadia Chaudhury/EATX

Austin Cake Ball

The wide range of bite-size confections offered by both area locations includes a tiramisu ball made with Italian espresso, sweet cream, mascarpone, pure coffee extract, espresso buttercream, a touch of Kahlua, and dusting of Callebaut cocoa.

Sugar Mama's Bakeshop Eastside

This ain't your mama’s frosting. The Frida cupcake has a coffee liqueur buttercream frosting, the Margarita comes with tequila lime frosting, and the Marilyn Monroe is topped with Madagascar bourbon vanilla buttercream. The Black and Tan delivers a double dose of booze with Guinness Stout cake and vanilla cream cheese frosting swirled with Irish Cream liqueur. Not a fan of cupcakes? The Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie Bar has a pleasing whisper of bourbon.

Halcyon Coffee, Bar & Lounge

Caffeine and cocktails collide at this relaxed downtown spot. Satiate your sweet tooth with a Thin Mint (creme de cacao + creme de menthe + vanilla ice cream) or opt for a white and dark chocolate espresso martini. The bartenders can also spike your hot chocolate—just ask.

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