Häagen-Dazs Spirit Collection

Häagen-Dazs Spirit Collection is an indulgent boozy treat. Photo by Jamie Alvear.

Häagen-Dazs new indulgent Spirit Collection is the perfect boozy summer treat. I am a long time HD fan (me and Rocky Road go way back). When I heard that they had combined two of my favorite pastimes - drinking and eating ice cream, I was ecstatic. The collection consists of five ice cream flavors, a cookie square and a non-dairy option. Don't worry, you don't need to be 21 to buy it. The alcohol amount is below 0.5%, giving you all of the flavor without the buzz.

Add your favorite bourbon for the perfect adult milkshake. Photo by Jamie Alvear.

According to flavor developer Aaron Butterworth, the flavors for the collection were carefully chosen to keep in line with Häagen-Dazs commitment to creating rich and indulging desserts. The ice cream is designed to be enjoyed on its own or paired with a cocktail. Bourbon was a natural pairing with vanilla and is showcased in both the Bourbon Vanilla Bean Truffle and the Bourbon Praline Pecan. The latter is great with an Old Fashioned, whereas I enjoyed the Vanilla Bean Truffle as a milkshake blended with more bourbon.

​Rum Tres Leches combines white rum ice cream with ribbons of dulce de leche and chunks of Tres Leches cake. When I think of indulgent, this flavor is what comes to mind. This ice cream was heavenly all on its own, but a little rum made it even better.

Think it's too hot for an Irish coffee? These frosty options will change your mind. Photo by Jamie Alvear.

Häagen-Dazs Irish Cream is a long time fan favorite, but it has been elevated and reinvented into two new forms. The Irish Cream Brownie has Irish Cream infused ice cream with chocolate brownie pieces and a decadent fudge swirl. The Irish Cream Cookie Squares are my personal favorite with just the right amount of ice cream in a portable package. Both of these pair well with an Irish Coffee. 

I've loved chocolate stout ice cream since my first bite at Fat Cat Creamery, so I was very excited about Häagen-Dazs Stout Chocolate Pretzel Crunch. The malty flavor of the ice cream with a pop of fudge and a hint of salt from the pretzels was the perfect combination of flavors. I paired it with the equally indulgent 11 Below Negative Space Milk Stout. 

The Amaretto Black Cherry is so creamy you'll forget it's non-dairy. Photo by Jamie Alvear.

The biggest surprise of the entire collection was the non-dairy Amaretto Black Cherry Almond Toffee. Black cherry jam and almond toffee pieces are folded into the creamy Amaretto-infused frozen dessert. "The special thing about our Häagen-Dazs non-dairy Amaretto Black Cherry Almond Toffee is that we use a rich and creamy almond butter base (not almond milk)," explains Butterworth. "We are able to achieve a super rich and creamy taste and mouthfeel that almost makes you forget you are eating non-dairy." Indeed it does. I found myself enjoying it way more than I expected, especially with a drizzle of Amaretto on top.

The Häagen-Dazs Spirit Collection is available at stores nationwide and retails for around $5.29. The ice cream comes in 14 oz. cartons and the cookie squares are sold in a 3 count package.

Disclosure: I am the spouse of a Nestle employee. Product was provided for me to sample, but all opinions and photos remain my own.