I can't think of Neapolitan ice cream without thinking of my father. As a kid, we always seemed to have a container of it in our freezer.
Personally, I wasn't a fan of the three-flavoured treat. I felt it forced me to choose a flavour. I have always loved chocolate ice cream, and felt that vanilla ice cream was only good if you doused it in a sauce, such as chocolate or butterscotch. It was also fine in between the two soft, cake-like layers of an ice cream sandwich.
But I was never a fan of strawberry ice cream and so if I ever spooned myself a bowl of Neapolitan, it was heavy on the chocolate with enough vanilla to say that I wasn't hogging the chocolate.
There was never any strawberry ice cream in that bowl.
Until my father showed me how he prepared it for himself. He'd measure out three equal samples of pink, white, and brown, and then mix them until he had a unified colour: a light brown. With all three flavours combined, he created a new flavour.
Going forward, I would only eat Neapolitan ice cream this way, and only if he was the one who blended the flavours into a creamy, monochrome mixture.
The can caught my eye, with its tri-coloured label. I hadn't had many brews by Toronto brewery, Lost Craft (though, I recently reviewed a lovely IPA), but in reading that label, I was immediately intrigued. They had taken that ice cream, mixed it just as my father used to do, and placed it in my favourite style of beer.
Tempting.
Lost Craft
Toronto ON
Appearance: a deep walnut brown with a latte-coloured head that started off almost fizzy, as I poured it, came to a tall, foamy high hat as it first sat in the glass, and then settled to a solid, creamy cap as the ale settled down and the bubbles stopped clinging to the inside of the glass.
Nose: chocolate was dominant as I poured the stout into my glass. We were off to a good start. After the head settled, I could detect ripe strawberries on top of the chocolate, and rich, French vanilla gently holding it all together.
Palate: the chocolate and strawberry blended together beautifully and coated my taste buds in a creamy mixture. I clearly detected the lactose, making this a true milk stout. The vanilla became more pronounced with subsequent sips and gave the stout its sweet, dessert-like finish.
Overall impression: my father will love this stout (clearly, I'm going to have to give him my other can and will have to get more). As with the stirred bowl of Neapolitan ice cream, this stout provides all three flavours in equal parts and delivers something that each of them couldn't do on their own. It brings back memories and is a true treat.
Beer O'Clock rating: 🍺🍺🍺
You can find Lost Craft beer in many fine grocery stores but I've only seen the Neapolitan Ice Cream Stout in the LCBO. Treat yourself to some soon.
Cheers!
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