This is called ‘Cherry Holiday Flip’ and trust me—everyone who tries it becomes obsessed! Not a single glass ever goes untouched!

Chill your serving glasses in the freezer for at least 10–15 minutes while you prepare the drink. Cold glasses help the flip maintain its texture and keep the ice cream from melting too quickly.

In a blender, combine the cherry juice, vodka, and vanilla ice cream. If you prefer a slightly lighter, frostier drink rather than a thick milkshake-style flip, add 4–6 ice cubes as well.

Blend on medium speed until the mixture is completely smooth and uniform in color, about 20–30 seconds. Taste and adjust: if you’d like it stronger, add a splash more vodka; if you want it sweeter or creamier, add another small scoop of ice cream and blend briefly again.

With the blender on its lowest setting (or turned off), add 2 tablespoons of cola and pulse just once or twice to gently incorporate. You want to keep a bit of the cola’s fizz, so avoid over-blending. Taste and add up to 2 more tablespoons cola if you’d like a more pronounced cola note.

Remove the chilled glasses from the freezer and divide the mixture evenly between them. The texture should be thick but pourable, similar to a soft milkshake.

Garnish each glass with a dollop of whipped cream, a cherry on top, and a sprinkle of grated dark chocolate or chocolate shavings, if using. Serve immediately with a straw or a small spoon so guests can enjoy the creamy texture before it fully melts.

For a lighter version, swap half of the ice cream for an equal amount of cold whole milk or half-and-half; you’ll still get a creamy body, but the drink will feel less heavy. If you enjoy a more tart profile, use unsweetened cherry juice and compensate with a touch of simple syrup or honey so you can control the sweetness more precisely. You can also experiment with flavored vodkas—vanilla vodka will amplify the dessert-like quality, while citrus vodka adds a bright, contrasting note to the cherry. For a Black Forest-inspired twist, blend in 1–2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup and top with extra chocolate shavings. If you’re serving a mixed-age group, make a non-alcoholic version by omitting the vodka, increasing the cherry juice slightly, and adding a bit more cola; the result is a cherry-vanilla float that kids and non-drinkers can enjoy. To scale this up for a party, blend the base (cherry juice and ice cream) ahead of time and keep it chilled in the refrigerator, then stir in the vodka and cola just before serving to preserve both the alcohol’s brightness and the cola’s carbonation.