Aspen Crud: The Boozy Milkshake That's A Piece Of Prohibition-Era History

Aspen — the city in Colorado known for its skiing — has its own signature drink: the Aspen Crud. The boozy milkshake made with bourbon dates back to the Prohibition era. Specifically, it dates back to one bar: a Victorian saloon named Jerome Bar that opened in 1889. Nowadays, the saloon is known as J-Bar after being renamed in 1946.

Prohibition began in 1916 in Colorado, which led J-Bar to convert into a soda fountain. However, patrons at J-Bar quickly found a way around the Prohibition laws by asking for "crud" or the "Aspen crud — a milkshake with stealthy shots of added bourbon. The term "crud" is a slang word used by skiers that refer to two things: crusty snow that has been heavily skied on or a bad cold. Likely, the milkshake was given the name "crud" due to its color and consistency resembling that dirty snow that has been skied on so much that it's no longer fresh. It's unclear who exactly invented the boozy milkshake at J-Bar, but the Aspen Crud quickly caught on. The drink has remained a staple at J-Bar ever since, long beyond the end of Prohibition.

If you want to try the Aspen Crud for yourself, the best way would be to travel to Aspen and order it directly from J-Bar. But if you're not heading to Aspen anytime soon, you can also make it at home. The simplest version of the milkshake involves just two ingredients: vanilla ice cream and bourbon. 

Grab your blender and add in three to five scoops of vanilla ice cream, along with three shots of bourbon. Blend until smooth, then serve. Choose the amount of ice cream scoops based on your own personal preferences — the more scoops added, the thicker the milkshake will be. Some versions of the drink also include four ounces of milk, along with the other ingredients. The addition of milk will make the milkshake a bit thinner, so if that's your preference, then it's a good idea to make sure that you add the milk. Blend until smooth, just as with the other version. Additionally, be sure to use the best milk for the ultimate milkshake: whole milk.

Finally, pour the perfectly blended milkshake into a chilled glass — as all the best milkshake recipes call for — and top with any garnishes that you like. You can't go wrong with a dollop of whipped cream and a cherry on top.

While the Aspen Crud is delicious as is, it certainly doesn't hurt to play around with customizations of the boozy milkshake. First things first, try switching up the ice cream flavor. Maybe you're more of a chocolate lover than a vanilla fan; if this is the case, try swapping out the vanilla ice cream for chocolate. After all, chocolate milkshakes can benefit from a boozy infusion too.

Additionally, you can experiment with the ratio of ingredients. As mentioned above, you will need to find the right balance of milk to ice cream to find the best milkshake consistency for your tastes, but what about the amount of alcohol? Maybe you want a hint of booze without going overboard; in this case, reduce the amount to one or two shots. Or, maybe you want an even stronger drink or plan to split your shake with someone and want more boozy infusion. In this case, up the amount of bourbon to four shots.

Finally, dress up the drink with as many garnishes as you like. If whipped cream isn't enough, add some sprinkles or a drizzle of hot fudge sauce. Or swap out the hot fudge for something fruity, such as strawberry or wild blueberry sauce.