A stout float—ice cream and a bottle of chocolate stout—has become a popular dessert, thanks to Guinness lovers seeking more ways to enjoy their favorite brew..

For St. Patrick’s Day, substitute the chocolate stout for Guinness. Here’s a stout float recipe.

Stout is differentiated from regular ale by its dark, brown-black color and chocolate-coffee flavors and fuller body. This is achieved by brewing with barley that has been dark-roasted to the point of charring (think of espresso beans compared to a medium roast).

Chocolate stout is a sub-category that use different malts, including chocolate malt, a more aromatic malt that has been roasted until it acquires a chocolate color and chocolaty flavor. The beers have a noticeable dark chocolate flavor that comes from the malt. Some stouts have actual cacao beans or chocolate tossed into the brew.

You can add an ounce of Bailey’s Irish Cream to the stout for a more well-rounded celebration.

And if you’re lucky enough to live where Silver Moon ice cream is sold (a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week), you can use their Praline Irish Cream, made with Irish cream liqueur. (Or, order it online for overnight delivery.)
If you want to brew Irish chocolate stout from scratch, we found a recipe!