A few years back, social media popularized wine floats as a simple summer cocktail combining wine, ice cream and seltzer water—and now, for the 2025 holiday season, fans of ice cream and wine are excluding the bubbly to create a creamy, boozy dessert. This minimal-ingredient, low-effort dessert is currently taking over TikTok, sharing a simple treat for adults that promises to be as captivating in color as it is in flavor.
According to creator Natalie DiScala, oaky, dry and heavily tannic wines don't tend to work well with classic vanilla ice cream. Instead, she recommends Merlot for its berry sweetness, Pinot Noir for its light and fruity nature, or jammy Grenache or Garnacha. And for those who crave a little carbonation for a float-like experience, there's always the option to add a splash of sparkling red wine.
Image Credit: danilo.alvesd, Leighann Blackwood, Unsplash
What's Driving This Trend
- Social Media-driven Dessert Fads
- Social platforms like TikTok are catalyzing the rise of new, trend-based dessert innovations that encourage consumer experimentation.
- Minimalist Ingredient Recipes
- The popularity of recipes requiring minimal ingredients highlights consumer desires for simplicity without sacrificing indulgence.
- Alcohol-enhanced Desserts
- As adults look for new ways to enjoy desserts, the combination of alcohol and traditional treats like ice cream is gaining traction.
Who This Affects Most
- Wine and Spirits
- The evolving consumer preferences for dual-experience products, such as desserts that incorporate alcohol, are opening new markets.
- Frozen Desserts
- Incorporating unconventional ingredients like wine provides opportunities in the frozen desserts market to attract an adult demographic.
- Food and Beverage Influencer Marketing
- The role of influencers in driving niche trends like creamy alcoholic desserts underscores the power of digital platforms in shaping consumer tastes.
