The end of the year is all about decadence. As part of my duty to overindulge in sugar and alcohol, I assembled a team of fellow hedonists to wander Vancouver seeking boozy shakes. It was a glorious — but surprisingly not very intoxicating — evening.
The first stop was Rally Pizza, the place that inspired our journey. Rally Pizza has a permanent menu of five boozy shakes ($10), and a daily special shake, all made with Rally’s own luscious frozen custard.
The frozen custard makes the shakes extremely thick; you’re more likely to use a spoon than try to hoover them through a paper straw.
The Forest Road (amaretto, chocolate fudge sauce and smoked marshmallow) seems to be very popular. On our visit, the waitress cautioned us that there was only one left, so we snapped it up. It proved that amaretto may be the ultimate liquor to mix with a sweet drink. We also liked the smoked marshmallow flavor.
The Landslide (Irish cream, Kahlua, and coffee syrup) brought visions of The Dude from the film “The Big Lebowski.” It’s a frozen White Russian without the vodka. Who needs the vodka? After all, the boozy shakes at Rally aren’t booze forward. The 1 ounce of alcohol in each drink is carefully mixed with the other flavors. When you bring the glass to your lips the aroma is more bakery than distillery.
If you go
What: Rally Pizza.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Where: 8070 E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver.
Contact: 360-524-9000; www.rallypizza.com
What: Stack 571.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Where: 670 Waterfront Way, Vancouver.
Contact: 360-450-0774; www.stack571.com
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