Resto's fruit-beer float.    (Photo: Melissa Hom)

SCOOPS
Chocolate-Rum Ice Cream
Gramercy Tavern, 42 E. 20th St., nr. Park Ave.; 212-477-0777
Pastry chef Nancy Olson's dark-chocolate ice cream is made with Valrhona cocoa, bittersweet Guittard, and Myers's rum, plus it's available both in the tavern room and as a strong finish to the dining-room prix fixe.

Mimosa Sorbet
Café Boulud, 20 E. 76th St., nr. Madison Ave.; 212-772-2600
The Meyer Lemon Délice dessert comes with fromage-blanc mousse and this refreshing Pommery-Champagne-and-blood-orange sorbet, which is also available on its own.

Stout Ice Cream
Craftsteak, 85 Tenth Ave., at 15th St.; 212-400-6699
This pleasantly bitter scoop comes atop Black Forest cake with morello cherries, but it would be just as delicious in a cup with other flavors like white chocolate and caramel.

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FLOATS
Fruit-Beer Float
Resto, 111 E. 29th St., nr. Park Ave. South; 212-685-5585
For dessert, the bar staff plunks a scoop of vanilla gelato into raspberry Lambic.

Stout Float
Back Forty, 190 Ave. B, nr. 12th St.; 212-388-1990
You could order a root-beer float here, too, but this beer version makes just as sweet a finish with its touch of pear-ice-wine syrup.

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NOVELTIES
Thai Popsicles
A60, 60 Thompson St., nr. Broome St.; 877-431-0400
The rooftop lounge is reserved for members (or hotel guests), who also get to cool down with Thai-margarita and mixed-berry mojito popsicles during special events.

Snow Cone
Dave and Busters, 234 W. 42nd St., nr. Eighth Ave.; 646-495-2015
This nationwide chain's shaved-ice cocktail doused with rum, cherry vodka, blue curaçao (and Pucker) is worth mentioning for inspiration alone. That, and because making them yourself is an excuse to finally purchase a Snoopy Sno-Cone maker.

Related:

• Archive: “Food Features”
• Articles by Alexandra Vallis