Two bills approved this past March created a confectionery license allowing businesses, like Mechanicsville-based Lush Cupcakes, to sell sweets containing up to 5 percent alcohol by volume. Closer to home, get both your buzz and glucose fix, especially at new Manassas music venue Farm Brew Live, where the second installment of Peterson’s Ice Cream Depot, Peterson’s 2, set up shop in a double-decker bus in June.
Clifton’s family- and pet-friendly Peterson’s used to serve Gary’s Guinness, a spin on a root beer float with the Irish stout accompanied by vanilla soft serve, chocolate sauce and whipped cream. Now, owner Tom Peterson took his only 21-plus dessert off the Clifton menu, moved his over-18-year-old employees to his eponymous establishment’s new location and kicked his adult offerings up a notch.
Gary’s Guinness didn’t make the cut, but there are still two “Tipsy Floats” using beer from 2 Silos Brewing Co. on the menu: The NoVA White Belgian, which contains its namesake beer, vanilla ice cream, orange syrup, whipped cream and an orange slice, and The Virginia Cream Ale containing vanilla ice cream, caramel syrup, whipped cream, Belgian dark chocolate shavings and the ale. For those not big on beer, there’s also adult ice cream: Field of Dreams (strawberry ice cream with rhubarb and bourbon bitters), Secret Recipe (bourbon and cornflake cookies), Revelry (cake vodka, amaretto and white chocolate liqueur) and Manassas Magic (dark chocolate and salted caramel ice cream infused with whiskey).
Up next: Peterson plans to build stairs leading up to the bus’s top deck, where people can enjoy treats at umbrella-covered tables. // Peterson’s 2 at Farm Brew Live: 9901 Discovery Blvd., Manassas; farmbrewlive.com/petersons-2/
WHERE TO FIND ADULT DESSERT
Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants
Cooper’s Hawk’s housemade lemon ice wine performs double duty in the deconstructed cheesecake: Inside a rocks glass, the cheesecake base is infused with the ice wine, as is the accompanying berry sauce. Instead of a graham cracker base, the sweet cracker is crumbled on top. Another boozy dessert is the caramelized banana sundae with rum and banana liqueur. // Reston and Ashburn; chwinery.com
Ted’s Bulletin
Now under new ownership (Steve Salis founded &pizza), Ted’s Bulletin, with two NoVA locations and one slated for Ballston, carries almost a dozen adult milkshakes spiked with the likes of creme de menthe, Irish cream and Kahlua. There’s also the Millionaire Malt featuring 18-year-old Glenlivet. // Reston and Fairfax; tedsbulletin.com
Vivify Burger & Lounge
For $3, guests can turn the Fredericksburg burger joint’s shakes boozy with chocolatey Godiva liqueurs or the throat-burning Jim Beam. // 314 William St., Fredericksburg; facebook.com/vivifyburger
Big Buns & Damn Good Burger Co.
Like a proper burger house, Big Buns and Damn Good Burger Co. both serve shakes (at Damn Good, shakes are served in a mini unicorn float), which can be enhanced with an ounce-and-a-half of alcohol. // Big Buns: 4401 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, eatbigbuns.com; Damn Good Burger Co.: 4251 Campbell Ave., Arlington, damngoodburgerco.com
