Sweet and peach-hued, the winning combination of ruby red grapefruit juice and bitter Campari becomes even more refreshing when frozen. We like to enjoy this granita as a pre-dinner treat.

The Greenwood Supper Club in Fish Creek, Wisconsin mixes Galliano with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream for a grown-up sundae. See the recipe for Golden Cadillac »

This recipe takes the crushed ice classic a step further. Its minty-hued sweetness melts slowly, creating a perfect after-dinner drink. See the recipe for Mint Julep Granita »

This sweet-tart conserve is a luscious accompaniment to ice cream. It also adds a fruity dimension when stirred into champagne.

This rose-hued variation on a grasshopper from The Greenwood Supper Club in Fish Creek, Wisconsin trades crème de menthe for almond-flavored crème de noya. See the recipe for Pink Squirrel »

Grapefruit is suspended in orange-liqueur-spiked gelatin in this recipe adapted from one in Stéphane Reynaud’s book Terrine (Phaidon Press, 2008). See the recipe for Grapefruit Terrine »

Inspired by the Argentine pairing, an intense cola and licorice-flavored granita is the perfect digestif.

This refreshing gelée gets its light, fruity flavor from ripe peaches and semisweet fizzy moscato wine.

The simple pairing of cantaloupe and port could be found on the menu of any classic mid-century French restaurant. The best melon to use is the French Charentais, which is small and slightly acidic (though still sweet), but it’s just as good with a musk or hand melon or cantaloupe.

Delicately sweet and lightly spiced, a sherry-based granita makes a refreshing palate cleanser.

These simple gelled fruit desserts made with rosé champagne are an elegant way to serve summer berries. Get the Raspberries in Pink Champagne Gelée »

For this very delicate dessert, use bottled spring water and a light, good-quality sauternes or barsac. The peaches shouldn’t marinate too long, so make them in the afternoon for dinner that night.

At the Greenwood Supper Club in Fish Creek, Wisconsin, the minty grasshopper gets a soda-shop twist with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. See the recipe for Grasshopper »

This classic dessert is moistened with the sweetened, wine-spiked cream known as syllabub. See the recipe for Raspberry Trifle »

A supremely moist, boozy Southern bundt cake fitting for any holiday spread.

In his cookbook Salted, Mark Bitterman writes of this peach, cinnamon, and salt recipe: “Your first bite will expand the boundaries of sensation, separating your mouth from the rest of your body, and you’ll be feeling spiciness in the warmth of your hands and smokiness in the tingling of your toes.” We agree.

The combination of rum and raisins has long elevated all kinds of desserts, but when applied to a vanilla custard base, the flavors truly shine: a concentrated burst of dried fruit cut by the boozy kick of rum, all cushioned by creamy dairy. Get the recipe for Rum Raisin Ice Cream »

The malt flavor of strong stout, such as Guinness Foreign Extra or Dragon, adds a bittersweet contrast to this rich, custardy ice cream, which is based on one served at the I-Scream shop at Devon House in Kingston, Jamaica. See the recipe for Stout Ice Cream »

Creamy, chocolaty, and with a touch of rum is how we would describe this popular dessert. The buttery chocolate-cookie crust used for this pie is our favorite of the options offered by Woman’s Day Encyclopedia of Cookery (Fawcett Publication, Inc. 1965). See the recipe for Black-Bottom Pie »

Maple syrup and a healthy dose of bourbon add a delectable kick to this grown-up take on a peanut butter milkshake, served at Seattle’s Skillet Diner.

This warm, frothy custard is a great way to extend your truffle experience to the very end of the meal. See the recipe for Black Truffle Sabayon »

A slightly fruity white wine works best here—we like to use Chardonnay, but any full-bodied white will do, including Champagne.

Sgroppino, a slushy combination of lemon sorbet, vodka, and prosecco, is common in Italy as a palate cleanser, a dessert, or a pre-dinner drink. We prefer this version by Marc Vetri’s beverage director Steve Wildy, where the ingredients are whisked together to create a chilly, frothy libation.