Our Favorite Frozen Cocktails
Many people think of frozen cocktails as being silly or girly or just too sweet. Most people conjure up images of pink drinks, topped with paper umbrellas and maraschino cherries, and chock-full of syrupy fruit juices, cordials and rum. And so what if they are? When it’s 80+ degrees outside, nothing hits the spot like a highly alcoholic, yet seriously refreshing slushy (also spelled as slushie). So leave those staid, buttoned-up Manhattans and Negronis until the fall, and get frosty this summer with a series of Tequila Snow Cones from Zengo, an amaretto-slicked Pina Colada from The Commodore, or a refreshing Beer Slushie from Uncle Boons!
Uncle Boons
We’ve unsuccessfully tried to recreate this Thailand favorite (known as Bia Wun or Jelly Beer) at home by sticking six-packs in the freezer and forgetting about them. But they’ve perfected the art of the Beer Slushie at Asian sensation Uncle Boons, by using motorized ice buckets to shake up bottles of Singha and Chang, until they’re filled with frosty, malty shards that you can drink through a straw.
Read MoreMother’s Ruin
This low-key Nolita cocktail den is a year-round fan of slushies, which means you can even find tipples made with bourbon and frozen apple cider in the fall. But come spring and summer, the “Slushie of the Day” is more likely to be a frozen White Sangria with Nectarines and Cardamom, or a floral concoction featuring tart Rhubarb, Gin, Lemon, Aperol and Orange Blossom Water.
Read MoreEl Quinto Pino
The Mexican Horchata is already one of our favorite, warm weather drinks, made with a sweet, rice milk beverage spicy with cinnamon. But Alex Raij and Eder Montero do the summer staple one better at their excellent tapas spot, El Quinto Pino, by topping it off with an icy scoop of frozen Chufa Tiger Nut Milk, spiked with a shot of Brandy.
Read MoreZengo
You won’t find Snow Cones like these sold on ice cream trucks, or by vendors pushing dented carts around the city. Served both in Zengo’s main dining room and in their sexy, lower-level library, La Biblioteca, the boozy treats are made by pouring freshly made Tamarind, Hibiscus or Strawberry-flavored syrup over shaved ice, and topping them with an ounce of smoky Tequila.
Read MoreThe Tippler
Referred to as “Lushies” here, these fun, frozen tipples are also served 365 days a year at this subterranean bar, located in a century-old, historic space under the Chelsea Market. Their ‘high concept blender drinks’ include the “Spazerac” and the “Snow Groni,” clever, chilled-out versions of beloved, classic cocktails.
Read MoreThe Commodore
This Williamsburg bar may serve one of our favorite plates of Fried Chicken and Biscuits in the city (their saucy, In-N-Out-style Burger is a close second), but their namesake offering is actually an icy rendition of the Frozen Piña Colada with a lick of nutty Amaretto floating on top.
Read MoreDonna
Back in business after being devastated by an electrical fire, this chic, Brooklyn lounge is actually known for their refined, un-frozen daiquiris. But they’re certainly not adverse to a good, slushy cocktail, as evidenced by their frosty “Brancolada,” a Branca Menta-based Pina Colada made with Appleton V/X Jamaican Rum, Coconut Cream, Pineapple and Orange Juice.
Read MoreBattery Harris
Thanks to a wood-burning fire-pit, you can lounge in this Caribbean-inspired haunt’s spacious backyard all year long. But in the height of summer, you’ll need plenty of tiki-style drinks regulate your body temperature, such as the “Purple Harris;” a frozen take on a Peruvian beverage called Chicha Morada, made with a mash of Purple Corn, Pineapple Skins, Allspice, Cloves, and Green Apple, combined with Sugar, Lime, Passion Fruit Juice, Rum and Pisco.
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