15 Frozen Cocktail Recipes to Sip All Summer Long
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
If you've got a blender, you can make these warm weather-ready drinks.
It's hard to resist a frozen cocktail by the pool or at a backyard barbecue in the summer, and we have a variety of frozen cocktail recipes for seasonal sipping and gathering. Whether you're looking to please a crowd with a perfect batch of Piña Coladas; you want to feel like you're on vacation by whipping up a chocolatey Mudslide or Frozen Hula Hoop, or it's your first time trying your hand at the simple Italian classic, Sgroppino, here are eye-catching, sweet, and refreshing frozen drinks for savoring the summer.
Sgroppino
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon
This boozy, Italian frozen treat calls for just three ingredients — prosecco, vodka, and lemon sorbet.
Frozen Hula Hoop
A sweet-tart blend of pineapple, raspberry, and lemon adds fresh fruit flavor to this slushy frozen drink from Erick Castro — host of the Bartender at Large podcast and San Diego bartender — spiked with white rum, Aperol, and dry red wine. With plenty of heat from the trio of alcohols, those fresh summer fruits keep the drink well balanced. Make your own raspberry syrup by infusing simple syrup with fresh berries.
Frozen Shirley Temple
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon
This non-alcoholic frozen riff on the classic Shirley Temple can be made boozy with vodka or gin, depending on your audience.
Miami Vice
Frozen drink expert Thomas Houston, the bar manager at Superior Seafood and Oyster Bar in New Orleans, makes his version of the Miami Vice with Don Q Piña rum to reinforce the pineapple flavor in the creamy Piña Colada component. He soaks frozen strawberries in Regan's bitters, which adds an orange flavor that accentuates the balancing acidity of the Strawberry Daiquiri component.
Stop the Hourglass
Bartender and sommelier Chantal Tseng's take on a refreshing summer drink pairs juicy, ripe peaches with cool and refreshing mint tea. Amontillado sherry, with notes of vanilla and toasted hazelnuts, adds a sweet, pleasant complexity to this frozen sipper. The fresh peaches and mint tea ice cubes tame the heat of the alcohol and ginger.
Frozen Mojito
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon
Mint, lime, and white rum make for a stellar Mojito, but once you get your blender involved, things can only get more delicious.
Frozen Grasshopper
Andrew and Briana Volk from Portland Hunt & Alpine Club in Portland, Maine, share their take on the classic Grasshopper. This frozen cocktail is infused with bracing aquavit, bringing a bite of caraway, fruity banana liquor, and cooling crème de menthe, resulting in a balanced but strong drink. Using two kinds of crème de menthe, both white and green, creates the contrast between the stark white whip and minty green drink, but either color can be used in both.
Mudslide
Created in the 1970s at Grand Cayman's Wreck Bar at Rum Point, this potent blend of vodka, Kahlúa, and Baileys Original Irish Cream might taste like a milkshake, but it can't be ordered virgin because all you'd get is a cup of crushed ice. The trio of alcohol blends into a smooth and velvety cocktail just sweet and chocolaty enough without being cloying. A generous drizzle of chocolate syrup and a bright red maraschino cherry with a dusting of ground cinnamon top off each glass.
Boozy Frozen Strawberry Lemonade
Famed pastry chef Claudia Fleming's Boozy Frozen Strawberry Lemonade is sweet, zippy, and irresistibly delicious — exactly the kind of drink you want on a hot summer afternoon. The frozen cocktail is made with lemon vodka, Prosecco, basil, limoncello, strawberries, and lemon sorbet, and can double as a dessert. Once frozen and blended, make sure to serve the lemonade right away so it doesn't melt.
Frozen Cucumber Margaritas with Chili-Sumac Salt
Top Chef judge Gail Simmons says her recipe for Frozen Cucumber Margaritas with Chili-Sumac Salt, which we published in 2019, is an ode to her favorite Mexican street snack: fruta con chile y limón, little bags of sliced mango, cucumber, and jicama usually sprinkled with Tajín, a spicy and sour snack seasoning. Simmons' slushy is a cucumber, coconut water, and tequila creation blended up with cilantro and lime with a rim of chili powder, sumac, and salt.
Fresh and Easy Piña Coladas
Coconut milk provides richness that rounds out sweet-tart chunks of frozen pineapple and adds a creamy texture to this lighter take on classic Piña Coladas. Be sure to vigorously shake the can of coconut milk before opening to recombine the coconut liquids and coconut cream.
Frozen Aperol Spritzes ('Fraperol Spritzes')
The Aperol Spritz — a simple combination of Aperol, Prosecco, and club soda — is easily one of the most celebrated summer cocktails. This recipe is a frozen twist on the classic and includes orange liqueur for even more orange flavor. Food & Wine's Justin Chapple originally developed a version of the recipe for Pepe's Wharf in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and streamlined it here so it's easy to make in a home blender. For the best results, allow the Aperol cubes to freeze overnight.
Be Cool
Boozy, bitter, and tart, this vibrant red blended drink sips like a frozen Negroni. It's the perfect not-too-sweet spiked frozen summer slushy. Atlanta bartender Keyatta Mincey-Parker's method of infusing the blanc vermouth with whole dried hibiscus flowers imparts their fruity and floral sweetness without masking the delicate aromas and flavor.
Frozen Salted Espresso Martinis
If you're an Espresso Martini fan, you'll love this frosty twist. First, brewed espresso is frozen in an ice cube tray; once the cubes are solid, they're processed with coffee liqueur, vodka, and simple syrup in a blender until smooth. The resulting martinis are well-balanced, with notes of caramel and vanilla. The liqueur and syrup give them subtle sweetness, the vodka adds a smooth element, and the espresso brings earthy bitterness. An elegant sprinkle of flaky sea salt finishes the drinks off, and balances the espresso's bitterness.
Frosé
This zesty frozen rosé starts with a homemade, fruity, and fragrant strawberry simple syrup made with fresh strawberries. Combined with a floral rosé and a splash of tart lemon juice, it all adds up to a boozy yet balanced and elegant slushy.
For more Food & Wine news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on Food & Wine.
