Bertrand Bell's Usual - Episode 3 (Part 1)

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR CAMPAIGN 3 EPISODE 3 AHEAD

ASHLEY: I'm going to walk up to the bar.
MATT: Okay.
ASHLEY: Would you mind sending one more drink over to the older gentlemen, Bertie?
MATT: "Yeah, totally. I got you for that."
ASHLEY: You give him something nice.
MATT: "Okay. I know what he likes. He comes in here and drinks every now and then."
ASHLEY: Okay.
MATT: "Thank you kindly." And grasps it in his lion's paw. Rustles the whiskers a bit and goes to pour the usual for Bertrand.
ASHLEY: All right. I'm going to bed. If you wouldn't mind taking that to him, that would be great.
MATT: "I got you. No worries." All right. Drink is delivered.
TRAVIS: Yes! (laughs) Who is this from?
MATT: "The tall, kind of creepy, horned faun girl that came through here."
TRAVIS: Fearne bought me a drink!
ROBBIE: Yes. Don't read too much into it.
TRAVIS: I won't. (gulping) (laughter)

Campaign 3 Episode 3, "The Trail and the Toll," November 4, 2021
Thanks to critrole.fandom.com for the transcription from the episode shown above.

Bertrand Bell's Usual

"Every once in a while, you need to see the sunrise. It might be that night for me."

#CriticalRoleSpoilers

As we bid farewell to Bertrand Bell, I wanted to honor him with a recipe. He didn't get a chance to have a full recipe in his honor here on the blog, so I made him a drink. And it is gooooooood. I like to think this is something that Bertrand might order for special occasions or when he has some extra cash. It's a bit more work than your average beer or ale, but the flavors are off the charts, and it looks just as good as it tastes. 

Something that I enjoyed with this recipe was the alliteration, we've got butterscotch schnapps and brandy for Mr. Bertrand Bell. I couldn't resist. Enough talk, Let's drink!

Ingredients

• Cream Soda - 12 oz or 1 can
• Butterscotch Schnapps - 1 shot
• Brandy - 1 shot
• Vanilla Ice Cream

Non-Alcoholic Ingredients

• Cream Soda - 12 oz or 1 can
• Butterscotch Ice Cream Topping
• Vanilla Ice Cream

Yes, there is whipped cream/cool whip in the picture. See the Substitutions section for more info about this.

Directions

1. Combine Cream Soda, Butterscotch Schnapps, and Brandy (or around 1-2 Tbsp of Butterscotch Ice Cream Topping instead of the alcohol) in at least a pint-sized glass. Stir well.
2. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream
3. Let set to develop foam, stir and enjoy

Tips, Suggestions, and Substitutions

Tips & Suggestions

• You've gotta let this sit for a minute before you dig in so that it gets that foam at the top from the ice cream mixing with the soda. It definitely adds to the overall effect. Just make sure your glass doesn't overflow!
• Butterscotch Schnapps can be harder to come across. I spoke with the people at the liquor store and though they had it, they were trying to get more but said it was on backorder. Just be aware.
• Pro tip: Use a straw! Preferably a reusable one. You can stir it as the ice cream melts and (if you have a yellow one) it can resemble Bertrand's cane. 

Substitutions

• I also considered making this with Burbon, but they had a small bottle of Brandy at the liquor store I went to, and I liked to think that Bertrand pretended to be more high-end with a "good brandy," (or what he said was a good brandy but was actually a cheap brandy) so I went with that instead.
• You can use whipped cream instead of ice cream if you've got it. That comes down to personal preference, but I liked the ice cream. 
• You can also do a drizzle of butterscotch topping across the top of the drink if you want to add a little bit more design flair. 

In Conclusion...

This is SO GOOD! The brandy adds warm notes that you just don't get if you use vodka or the schnapps by itself. And the ice cream and the foam on the top is an amazing touch as it gives the resemblance to beer from a tap (but way better tasting in my opinion). I still have a few cans leftover (and plenty of alcohol) and I will be definitely having this again. Especially as we get closer to the holidays, this is a great dessert drink. I will say, without the alcohol, it's quite sweet and feels a bit like a glorified cream soda float with Butterscotch, but what's the harm in that?

This recipe was inspired by many Butter Beer recipes across the internet. It wasn't just one recipe, so I don't have a source to site as I pulled it from many places, and added my own spin with the brandy for Bertrand. 

If you are someone who partakes in alcohol, I really hope you'll try this. It's so so good and well worth the effort to get the schnapps, and the brandy, and add the scoop of ice cream. Oddly enough, the hardest thing for me to find was the cans of cream soda - do people not drink cream soda anymore?! Anyway, if you have any questions or suggestions, or just wanna say hi, please leave it all in the comments below. Remember to follow me on Pinterest or Twitter, if that would be a useful or fun thing for you to do. Thanks for visiting, and don't forget to love each other. Is it Thursday, yet?

Sir Bertrand Bell it is, huh? Good night.

Yield: 1

Author: Sam of Critical Cooks

Bertrand Bell's Usual

Cool to the touch but warms you up inside, Bertrand's usual is best when shared with friends.

Prep time: 5 MinTotal time: 5 Min

Ingredients

• Cream Soda - 12 oz (or 1 can)
• Butterscotch Schnapps - 1 shot
• Brandy - 1 shot
• Vanilla Ice Cream
• Butterscotch Ice Cream Topping (optional)
• Whipped Cream (optional)

Instructions

Alcoholic Version

1. Combine Cream Soda, Butterscotch Schnapps, and Brandy in a pint-sized glass or larger. Stir well.
2. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream
3. Let sit to develop foam, stir gently and enjoy

Non-Alcoholic Version

1. Combine Cream Soda and 1-2 Tbsp of Butterscotch Ice Cream Topping in a pint-sized glass or larger. Stir well.
2. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream
3. Let sit to develop foam, stir gently and enjoy

Notes:

For tips, suggestions, and substitutions please refer to the original post.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

467

Fat (grams)

7

Sat. Fat (grams)

4.5

Carbs (grams)

64.5

Fiber (grams)

.5

Sugar (grams)

62.4

Protein (grams)

2.3

Sodium (milligrams)

98

Cholesterol (grams)

.02

These are approximations - these nutrition facts are very approximate specifically as there are multiple varieties of Cream Soda and Vanilla Ice cream. I suggest for this recipe specifically, if you'd like to know the calories, to check the packaging of your ingredients.

Please note that these Nutrition facts are very approximate as there are multiple varieties of Cream Soda and Vanilla Ice cream. I suggest for this recipe specifically, if you'd like to know the calories, to check the packaging of your ingredients.

Original character art by Hannah at @agarthanguide on Twitter.