Michigan's Signature Drink Doubles As A Boozy Dessert

From the Wisconsin Old Fashioned to the Alabama Slammer, unofficial state cocktails seem to lean toward the controversial — and the sweet. Michigan's drink of choice, the Hummer, is no exception. The signature beverage of the Great Lakes state is a decadent blend of white rum, Kahlúa, vanilla ice cream, and, optionally, crushed ice. As the story goes, the name comes from the cool and creamy cocktail's uncanny ability to make a person hum after imbibing. This is quite believable, considering that it's basically a boozy vanilla milkshake.

The Hummer originated in Detroit in the late 1960s, when ice-cream-based after-dinner drinks such as the Grasshopper and the Brandy Alexander were all the rage. By many accounts, the famous Detroit bartender Jerome Adams first whipped up this sweet, boozy treat at the Bayview Yacht Club in 1968. However, others credit Farouk Elhaje, a similarly legendary bartender who possibly invented the Hummer during his tenure at Detroit's London Chop House. Adams and Elhaje both died in 2018, so we may never know the true origin story of the Hummer. What is clear is that the unique ice cream cocktail was invented in Detroit in the 1960s (and that it definitely wasn't named after Hummer vehicles, which weren't invented until the 1980s).

The now-iconic Hummer cocktail is still a popular menu item at the Bayview Yacht Club, and although it's no longer on the official menu, it can be specially ordered at the London Chop House, at least as recently as 2023. It's also available at many other establishments across the state of Michigan, where it's typically served as a sweet after-dinner delight.

The Hummer is beloved on its home turf, but it's relatively unknown — and difficult to order — outside of Michigan. The reason the decadent ice cream cocktail hasn't gained widespread popularity probably has more to do with convenience than taste (although dessert cocktails are always a bit controversial). Despite containing only three ingredients, the Hummer can be a bit of a headache for bartenders because it requires whipping out the blender and having a freezer stocked with ice cream. Luckily for boozy dessert lovers, the state of Michigan has decided blending up a cool and creamy Hummer is well worth the trouble.