Cocktails are always a treat, and the summer heat presents a great opportunity to have fun cooling them down. Frozen cocktails are especially yummy, so here are a few delicious options to give your blender a workout.
Pina Colada
This go-to poolside cocktail is easily recreated at home with just a few ingredients, most of which you can pick up from your liquor store. Some people prefer to add the rum on top of the frozen concoction as a floater, but adding it into the mixture prior to blending itself gives it better distribution. However, if you have some non-imbibers in your company, keeping it as a separate, optional topper is considerate. You can also add an extra floater in addition to blending it to give the beverage extra kick.
Traditional Pina Colada
- 6 oz cream of coconut (Coco Lopez is great and found in the mixer section of your liquor store)
- 6 oz pineapple chunks and juice (fresh or canned)
- 6 oz gold rum
- Combine all ingredients with ice in a blender, garnish with pineapple wedge and serve.
Pro-tip: If your refrigerator has a crushed ice function, use that rather than cubed ice – it will cut down on the heavy lifting for your blender.
Wine Slushie
Wine slushies are a newer trend that is great when you’re looking for a lighter-octane beverage. You can use any kind of wine you like, but it’s a good idea to stick with wine that isn’t terribly expensive – color, bouquet, and other aspects that aficionados appreciate are generally lost once thrown into a blender. A refreshing white wine (sparkling or otherwise) is a good start, then add fruit of choice and sweetener.
Strawberry Bubbly Slushie
- 1-2 cups sparkling wine (you can sub sparkling wine with plain white and carbonated water – whatever is readily available)
- 1 cup strawberries
- Simple syrup / sweetener to taste
- Combine all ingredients with ice in a blender, garnish with fruit and serve.
Pro-tip: Use frozen fruit rather than fresh fruit and ice. It will eliminate the extra water that can make your drink flat rather than fun.
Frozen Gin and Tonic
A frozen gin and tonic is a high-octane option for those who want to chill out their usual favored cocktail. Feel free to snazz up your recipe with cucumbers, lime garnishes or sugar rims for a refreshing twist.
Gin and Tonic Teaser
- 6 oz gin
- 4 oz tonic water
- 3 oz lime juice
- Simple syrup (optional)
- 3 ounces chopped cucumber (optional)
- Combine all ingredients with ice in a blender, garnish with lime or cucumber and serve.
These are just a few options. Try strawberry daiquiris, rum runners, frozen mudslides or anything else that might be boozy and delicious. Have fun and enjoy!