GELATO AND SORBET WITH ALCOHOL II

05/06/2025

We continue our conversation about gelato with alcohol which, as we saw in the previous article, represents an intriguing challenge for the gelato maker and an innovative product for customers. With gelato with alcohol recipes, it’s possible to create unique flavors and combinations, also suitable for third-party production, since it can be made for wine bars, nightclubs, and restaurants.

In this article, we interview gelato maker Carlo Guerriero of "La Cremeria Gelato Italiano" in Cádiz, finalist of the Gelato Festival World Masters thanks to an alcoholic gelato flavor: a zabaglione infused with Palo Cortado wine, featuring raisins soaked in the same wine and enriched with almond brittle. It was an unusual choice to participate in a competition with an alcoholic flavor, but one that was appreciated by the jury!

Speaking with Carlo Guerriero, he tells us about his experience with gelato flavors with alcohol in the gelato shop: «I always offer a couple of alcoholic flavors. For example, the flavor with which I won the GF World Masters or the one presented at Sigep 2025, made with Amontillado wine from Jerez.» Carlo explains that he is very fond of this flavor because it tells part of his story—a journey between Italy and Spain—and because it is a flavor highly appreciated by his customers in Cádiz, as «it incorporates local traditions, and that’s why people love it!».

Carlo also creates several other alcoholic flavors: he develops recipes with wines and other alcoholic beverages, such as chocolate and rum, Prosecco sorbets, and a revisited mojito. These are flavors that «are in high demand during summer. We rotate them in the display case—we don’t prepare them all at once, but they sell very well. Of course, we must inform customers that they are with alcohol, because they’re not suitable for everyone—we’re thinking of children!».

Carlo Guerriero also confirms that making gelato with alcohol requires a great deal of expertise, both in terms of balancing ingredients—since «to create good gelato flavors with alcohol, it’s important to balance them while considering the technical challenges that alcohol presents», as Gianpaolo Valli rightly pointed out in the previous article—and in-depth knowledge of the raw materials used. Carlo also notes that when developing a recipe, it’s essential to «remember to convert the alcohol volume into weight. Flavors with alcohol are great because they’re a real challenge for the gelato maker!».

«In my gelato shop, we always prepare at least one gelato with alcohol flavor—people want to see it in the display case year-round! When the weather gets hot, we try to create something with sparkling wines, to enhance the feeling of freshness on the palate. In spring, when citrus trees blossom, we make lemon-based flavors with alcoholic pairings. Or, during special events focused on wine or other spirits, we quickly develop a new recipe to turn that product into a gelato. Inspired by a typical dessert from a well-known local restaurant, we created a gelato made with peanut cream, Moscatel wine, and dark chocolate, served in a cinnamon cone. The connection with the restaurant world is a great way for gelato makers to expand their market, reaching different target groups beyond their usual loyal clientele.»

Carlo and Gianpaolo also point out that producing of gelato with alcohol in a gelato shop involves a bureaucratic issue that shouldn't be underestimated: the license to serve alcohol. One solution is to create recipes with a low alcohol content. Carlo has focused on finding methods to concentrate the flavors and aromas of the alcohol used—by incorporating the wine cold, to preserve more volatile aromas that are better perceived at lower temperatures, or by working with heat, using tools that allow evaporation (called evaporators), which help concentrate the flavor of the beverage used. This way, it’s possible to create recipes with less than 2% alcohol—the legal threshold not to exceed if you don’t hold a license.