Borden's & Gordon's

This is the punch your grandmother served at the holidays and your aunt asks for every Christmas Eve. Named for the brands of ice cream and vodka that built it, Borden’s and Gordon’s is essentially a White Russian scaled up for a punch bowl, with brewed coffee tipping the sweetness toward something closer to a frozen mudslide.

The whole thing comes together in one bowl. Set the half gallon of French vanilla on the counter for about 20 minutes so it softens but doesn’t melt to soup. Cold brewed coffee, vodka, and creme de cacao all go in around the softened ice cream, then a few stirs with a long spoon turn the bowl into a thick, slushy float. Serve immediately while the texture is still half ice cream and half cocktail. Let it sit too long and you have a brown puddle.

Pro Tips

• Use full-fat French vanilla, not low-calorie or no-sugar-added. The richness is what holds the punch together.
• Brew the coffee strong and chill it completely before adding. Hot coffee melts the ice cream into a thin mess.
• Don’t over-stir. A few gentle folds keep visible ice cream pieces and give the punch its slushy texture.
• If the bowl will sit out longer than 30 minutes, nest it inside a larger bowl filled with ice.

Variations

• Swap Kahlua for the creme de cacao for a more coffee-forward, less chocolatey profile.
• Use chocolate ice cream and a splash of bourbon for a richer holiday dessert punch.
• Dust each glass with cocoa or grated nutmeg for a festive finish on the surface.