Every week, we're giving you an inside look at Black Tap's insane milkshakes. Prepare yourself.
You know you're onto something big when a pop star plans her album release party around one of your milkshakes. Well, that and when people line up almost two hours before your shop opens—in 30-degree weather, no less—just to get their hands on one.
That's the reality for chef Joe Isidori and his team at Black Tap Craft Burgers and Beer, the barely 1-year-old restaurant in New York's SoHo neighborhood. He sells about 400 of his over-the-top milkshakes each day—glorious, one-and-a-half-foot-tall wonders topped with a cloud of whipped cream and just about every dessert you could imagine, from chocolate balls to entire slices of cake.
Almost two months ago, Disney star Zendaya reached out to the 15-seat shop, asking if they'd create a special shake for her new album—and if she could invite, oh, 250 of her biggest fans to celebrate its launch there. Thankfully, Black Tap has a second location, where they could host the party, and after some brainstorming, came up with the Sour Power, a sweet-tart drink piled high with Nerds, a unicorn lollipop and a rainbow sour candy belt that's threaded onto a skewer, among other treats.
Zendaya's OG creation featured Sour Patch Kids around the rim, but the candies proved so heavy they'd start to slip down the sides of the cup shortly after being served. Still, people loved the Instagram image so much Black Tap decided to add it to its regular menu, swapping out the Sour Patch Kids for lighter—but every bit as sugary-yet-tart—sour gummies.
A liberal slathering of frosting helps adhere the gummies, but what keeps them from slipping is adding the icy cold shake—immediately.
"It's so cold that it hardens up the icing, which holds everything in place," Isidori explains. "That method's my one claim to fame. My wife came up with the idea for the milkshakes, I had the macro vision, and Brittany, my social media assistant [featured in this video], executes and edits them."
Check out the video above to see exactly how they're made, and check out Delish over the next few weeks to see other over-the-top milkshakes from Black Tap.
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