Sure, summer is almost over. But there’s still time to enjoy everything the season has to offer. There are still a few weeks left to sit in an inner tube while drinking a beer and slowly drifting around a pond, river, or stream. You can still spend an afternoon sitting on a dock with your feet in the water, lounge in the middle of a cornfield in a lawn chair, and even have the most epic backyard frozen cocktail party of all time. And while there’s a case to be made for all of the activities, it’s the latter we’re most interested in today.
I get it, “all time” is a bit of an understatement. But there is still time to enjoy a fun afternoon or evening, indulging in frozen mixed drinks. And you don’t have to find a bar that serves frozen Margaritas or Daiquiris. You can make them at home.
I’ve made my fair share of frozen cocktails over the years. But, while I’ve made some flavorful frozen Negronis, Palomas, and other drinks, I’m not a frozen cocktail expert. Lucky for you, David Seidl, Spirits Specialist at Deep Eddy Vodka, is. That’s why we asked him to give us some insight into making frozen cocktails at home.
How to make frozen cocktails at home
Whether you’re planning to make a few frozen drinks for your significant other or you’re planning an end-of-the-summer frozen cocktail party, Seidl has the tips and tricks you need. From batching to blending to the tools you’ll need to what cocktails to make, he has you covered.
Batching your frozen drinks is key
He says that the biggest frozen cocktail hack you need to know is batching.
“In my opinion, batching your ingredients together for consistency is the best frozen cocktail hack for home,” He adds, “This way you just have to pour your batch straight into your blender, and it’ll always be correct.”
His trick with blender cocktails is to start with the ice and then pour the batch in afterwards until it is at the same level as your ice.
“If you have ice floating in your blender, not at the same level as your batch, you’ll get a watery drink that will melt very quickly. On the other side, if your ice is mounded above your batch, you’ll get a drink that is hard to get out of your blender and that’ll be hard to drink because it’s too thick.”
Not all cocktails work well as frozen drinks
While drinks like the Margarita, Frosé, Paloma, Daiquiri, Mojito, Piña Colada, and Negroni are perfect for frozen drinks, not all cocktails are.
“This is absolutely personal preference,” says David Seidl. “There aren’t many cocktails that you would make on the rocks that wouldn’t taste good frozen.”
He adds, “I would say that you should probably stay away from your higher alcohol content cocktails (Old Fashioneds, Martinis, etc.). Also, I don’t like to use carbonated mixers. It makes your drink come out frothy.”
Frozen cocktail tools
Making frozen cocktails at home requires more than simply ice and a determination to have frosty, boozy drinks. You’ll also need some tools.
“I think all you really need for making frozen drinks is a measuring cup for building your batches, and a blender to blend your drink,” he says. “It couldn’t hurt to have a long spoon or small rubber end spatula to get all of your product out of your blender.”
He says that if you really like frozen cocktails, Ninja makes a small frozen machine you can buy at places like Walmart and Target.
“It’s a different process building cocktails for these machines, but cocktails come out much better from these machines compared to making them in a blender.”
Bottom line
Not only is summer not over yet. But for many of us, we’re in the midst of the hottest part of summer. There couldn’t be a better time to enjoy a frozen cocktail. So, stock up on your favorite booze, ingredients, and tools. Whip up some frozen Margaritas, Daiquiris, or even a bittersweet end-of-summer frozen Negroni.
Experiment with recipes, add ingredients, and have fun. This isn’t a college course, and nobody is going to grade you on your performance. Get creative and enjoy some frozen cocktails as you await the impending fall chill headed your way.
Seidl has one last bit of knowledge that will help sum up why you should spend the last gasp of summer crafting flavorful, frigid, delicious frozen cocktails. Ice melts and dilutes your cocktail. Especially on a hot, humid summer day.
“I love frozen drinks, especially out here in Texas during a hot summer,” he says. “(with frozen drinks) You don’t have to worry about your drink getting watered down quickly out in the heat. It may melt, but the taste will remain the same and stay colder longer.”
