Making Slushies

While most bars lean on commercial slushy machines to chill the mixture and prevent the cocktail from freezing into a block, most frozen formulas can be executed with a blender whether you’re blending with ice or freezing the mixture ahead and whirring it before serving. If the recipe calls for the former, note that the average blender won’t take well to cubed ice, so lean on crushed.

If you are making frozen drinks for a few guests, using your blender in the kitchen or at a bar will work just fine. Keep in mind the noise and the mess when considering the location options. If you’re entertaining a bigger group, consider owning a frozen drink machine. It will free you up from the blender so you can enjoy your guests. If you are using a frozen drink machine, the noise won’t be a problem, but it might be a bit bulky in your kitchen. The frozen drink machine should come on a rolling cart. Consider putting it in a doorway to a laundry room, or on a shaded patio. Also, keep in mind that the machine weighs nearly 200 lbs., so make sure that your location does not require the machine to be carried up or down any stairs or other steep, difficult areas. This will avoid extra charges for additional labor or special equipment.

Frozen beverages like cocktails are a fail-safe way to get the party started and keep it going or just to bring an air of the festive to a hot, lazy afternoon. Building your drink in a pitcher then pressing a button to pulse it into chilled boozy puree is not only satisfying, but so easy. Technology these days are very highly advanced. You can make frozen beverages like mint juleps and rum swizzles using crushed ice. All you need to prepare crushed ice is a mallet and a bag. Place your ice cubes in a plastic bag and mash away until your ice is chipped to bits.

You will need extra dilution in your drink to get it to slushy texture, which can be achieved in two ways. Although it might seem simplest to blend with crushed ice, this requires you to move fast; if your ingredients aren’t cold enough when combined with ice in the blender, and whirred quickly, you’ll risk the drink hitting the table with the wrong consistency. So, start with very cold ingredients: place your spirits in the freezer and other ingredients in the fridge, use a measured amount of crushed ice and blend quickly. Alternatively, you can achieve greater control by pre-diluting your mix and freezing it. The drink will freeze into a pliable mass in your freezer, but it can be quickly agitated either by whipping by hand or in a blender for service.

Garnish your frozen beverages with something dramatic. Like a big topical fruit wedge, a cocktail umbrella or a lit sparkler to make it more beautiful and pleasing to the eyes.