29 Frozen Drinks That Are Worth the Brain Freeze
When you’re craving frozen drinks, there’s really no substitute. Other summer cocktails might be refreshing, but a blended slush that’s boozy and tart is the ultimate in hot weather. Below, you’ll find our favorite classic frozen margarita—but also a tangy and bracing frozen G&T, a crowd-pleasing piña colada, frozen negronis, and an icy amaretto sour with an optional (but highly recommended) bitter float. Skip the packaged limeade concentrate this summer and take your blender on a ride; you won’t want to miss any of the 29 frozen cocktail recipes below.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton1/29Frozen Moscow Mule
You might think of the Moscow Mule as a fizzy affair, but we’ve found a way to transform this simple gingery cocktail into one of our best frozen drinks. It’s a poolside sipper if there ever was one; ideal for a humid summer day.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne3/29Frozen Margarita
If there’s one frozen cocktail recipe that you want to know by heart, it’s this classic frozen marg, made with blanco tequila, fresh lime, orange liqueur, and a touch of sugar. This formula is pretty dry—if you like your margaritas fruitier, just increase the Cointreau to taste. Put your feet up and read a little margarita history while you enjoy.
Photo & Food Styling by Joseph De Leo5/29Frozen Gin and Tonic
We tasted a lot of G&Ts to zoom in on the best possible technique for the fizzy gin and tonic, but if you have tonic syrup on hand, keeping things extra-frosty with this summertime favorite is the way to go. The tonic and gin combo just hits different when it’s ice, ice cold.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton6/29Frozen Mango Margarita
When the mangoes are sweet and in season, we want to enjoy them every way we can. Add this frozen sipper to your mango recipe plans. (In the off-season, you can use frozen fruit and a touch of extra sugar.)
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton9/29Amaretto Sour Slushy
This variation on the amaretto sour is fragrant, nutty, tart, and delicious. There’s fresh orange juice in here (and a touch of simple syrup), balanced out by loads of fresh lemon juice. We urge you to give the optional Fernet Branca on top a try; it’s bracing and bitter and offers a nice contrast to the fragrant, almondy drink.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton10/29Frozen Watermelon Margarita
This is one of those easy cocktails that just tastes like summer in a glass. All you need is four ingredients: ripe melon, tequila, lime, and sugar.
Photo by Kelly Puleio11/29Parson’s Negroni Slushy
This frozen variation of the classic negroni adds some citrus—fresh grapefruit and fresh orange—to the mix for extra refreshment.
Photo by Paul H. Christian, Food Styling by Michele Figliuolo13/29Mango Castaway
This twist on the piña colada uses frozen mango instead of pineapple for a delightfully smooth and fragrant cocktail. Instead of coconut milk or cream of coconut, there’s coconut rum in the mix along with aged rum and sweetened condensed milk.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova14/29The Sicilian Slush
If you love the citrusy bite of Campari, it’s time to meet your new summer drink. The bitter liqueur and fresh citrus go together like peanut butter and jelly.
Photo by Alex Lau15/29Cantaloupe-Coconut Cocktail
Fresh cantaloupe and coconut make for a sunny summer cocktail. Serving in melon halves feels festive, but regular glasses work too. Serve alongside these grilled coconut shrimp at an outdoor gathering.
Christina Holmes18/29Watermelon, Lime, and Tequila
Melon season is the best season, and this drink is proof. This tequila cocktail includes refreshing watermelon, biting jalapeño, and plenty of fresh lime juice. Serve it in a highball glass at your next party alongside a spread of tacos and seafood. If you’re a fan of other agave spirits like mezcal or sotol, you can try them in this one as well.
Photo by Lindsay Landis, Taylor Hackbarth20/29Frozen Sunrise Margaritas
This refreshing summer drink takes the grenadine and OJ from a tequila sunrise and adds the Cointreau and lime juice from a margarita. Throw everything into a blender for the best of both drinks.
Christina Holmes23/29Peach, Ginger, and Bourbon
This spicy and sweet combination of bourbon and peaches would be spectacular alongside whatever you’ve got on the grill this weekend.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food styling by Matt Duckor25/29Life's A Peach Cocktail
Slice fresh peak-season peaches and freeze them to make the base of this whiskey blender drink. Honey and cardamom add layers of flavor. Pair this one with a platter of spicy honey-glazed grilled pork chops.
Photo by Ted Cavanaugh26/29Arnie’s Gimlet Slush
Bright, refreshing, and a little bit caffeinated. Serve with a generous mint spring for extra-fresh aroma. Feel free to swap out the vodka for gin if you prefer.
Photo by Shutterstock27/29Pink Lady Milk Shake
Salt & Straw, an ice cream maker in Portland, Oregon, adds a drop of Champagne vinegar and a hint of pepper to balance the sweetness in this sophisticated take on a strawberry milkshake, plus a splash of rum to deepen the flavors.
Photo by Brian Leatart28/29Citrus-Blossom Gin Fizz
This drink is a take on a Ramos Gin Fizz, the classic New Orleans cocktail that usually requires several minutes of shaking in a cocktail shaker. This version saves time by turning to the blender instead—the result is a creamy and smooth citrusy cocktail that gets even better with a sprinkling of grated nutmeg on top.
