Beer, Bacon and Ice Cream? Coffee Shop Serves Up Unique Float

I scream. You scream. We all scream for ... bacon?

Bacon has long been a beloved breakfast food and even a staple food for Canadian mornings. Even the term "bringing home the bacon" dates all the way back to 12th century England. 

More recently, this cured meat prepared from pig is taking a more creative form in kitchens. 

A Philadelphia company makes an all-bacon taco shell. A confectioner sells bacon-flavored candy. And, Burger King will offer a bacon sundae this summer. 

In Portsmouth, one local business is mixing three ingredients that typically are not found together: beer, bacon and ice cream. 

"It's the sweet and salt together. It's delicious," said George Doumaney, co-owner of Custom House Coffee in Portsmouth. The coffee shop also has a location in Middletown on Aquidneck Avenue.

The Bacon Beer Float

Custom House Coffee, a full-service coffee bar which recently obtained a liquor license, is now offering a drink called the Bacon Beer Float. It's exactly what it sounds like. 

“We wanted unique desserts that no one on the island is offering,” said Doumaney, a Tiverton resident. George's wife, Reggie, came up with the idea. 

“She was talking with the beer salesman and he said people use bacon for any kind of cooking. She looked at me and, since she loves ice cream, said 'I wonder how bacon tastes in a float.'”  

The Bacon Beer Float was born. 

How it's made 

The float is made with Berkshire Brewing Co. porter, three scoops of vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, whipped cream and topped with chocolate-covered bacon and, of course, a cherry. 

The chocolate-covered bacon is made right in the Custom House Coffee kitchen. “I make a melted chocolate and dip the bacon in it, and let it harden. It's the sweet and salt together," Reggie said. 

The Bacon Beer Float sells for $9 in a 12-oz., chilled glass.

Custom House Coffee can be found in the Clock Tower Square Plaza, located at West Main Road and King Charles Drive, Portsmouth. 

Have you added bacon to any unusual meals? Tell us how you've used bacon creatively in the comment section below! 

Don't know how to cook bacon properly? Check these mistakes you may be making in the kitchen.