Unlock These 14 Insanely Refreshing Frozen Cocktails That Will Transform Your Summer Vibes Instantly!

Ever wonder why we’re so obsessed with frozen cocktails when summer rolls around? It’s kinda funny—Disney’s Frozen tells us to “let it go,” but when it comes to slushy, ice-cold drinks, we simply can’t. There’s just something magical about crushed ice chilling a stiff spirit until it’s more like a cozy hug than a punch in the face. According to a recent independent survey by Paragon Brands, a solid third of us even prefer these frosty concoctions to classic pours as the heat climbs—and guess what? Gen Z is totally on board with this trend. What’s not to love? They’re refreshing, flavorful, and best of all, easy enough to whip up at home without a PhD in mixology—or chemistry! So, whether you’re kicking back poolside or just trying to beat the blaze in your backyard, these fourteen frozen cocktail recipes are about to become your new summer MVPs. Think of it as a buzz sprinkled with icy coolness, ready to knock your socks off without breaking a sweat. LEARN MORE

In its most acclaimed song, Frozen—the 2013 Disney animated classic—advises us all to “let it go.” But when it comes to a frozen cocktail, that’s something we’re never willing to do. Especially not during the dog days of summer. In fact, a recent independent survey by Paragon Brands showed that a third of drinkers prefer slushed serves over traditional pours during this time of year. And the format is becoming increasingly popular with Gen Z drinkers.

Refreshment factor is a given; crushed ice cools you down quick and allows otherwise stiff spirits to go down easy. It also often does so with pizzazz. “You drink frozen cocktails because deep down you want alcohol to hug you, not punch you in the throat, like drinking whiskey or vodka neat does,” says drinks author Dan Dunn. “You want a buzz with sprinkles on top.”

If you’re making something at home, you also want a buzz that doesn’t require an advanced degree in mixology. Or chemistry, for that matter. It turns out that making a masterful frozen drink at home is a cinch. You don’t have to talk our word for it, either. Dunn, who hosts a popular podcast called What We’re Drinking, just devoted an entire episode to the endeavor (I was his esteemed guest).

I also talked to a handful of folks who make cocktails for a living, and they didn’t just agree with the assertion. They provided a bevy of recipes you can easily craft in your own kitchen. The closest thing you’ll need by way of lab equipment is a high-tech blender and a Costco-sized bag of ice.

Below, find Esquire’s fourteen favorite examples. These are low-lift preparations that dial up the refreshment without sacrificing flavor. There’s no reason you can’t have your frozen Negroni and drink it, too.

“You want complexity? Great. You want refreshment? Even better,” says Dunn. “You want both while sitting in a plastic chair with your feet in a kiddie pool? Welcome to frozen cocktail season.”

14 Best Frozen Cocktails for the Summer

Frozen Garibaldi

Combining bitter spirits with sweet, refreshing orange flavor makes a Frozen Garibaldi the perfect summer treat.

This classic combination of orange juice and bitter aperitif is far greater than the sum of its simple parts. Though you can get more intricate than just the two main stars of the show. I’m a fan of the Garibaldi Banger, variation—a colorful creation that introduces Galliano into the mix. Hit up Tre Dita in the St. Regis Chicago for a masterful examples. You can opt to do the same in frozen form, or you can try subbing in some dry gin, for a split base alongside the Campari. Either way, what you end up with will sip more like a blood orange smoothie than anything alcoholic.

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 oz orange juice
• 1 1/2 oz Campari (or 1 oz gin, 1/2 oz Campari for stronger drink)
• 1/2 oz simple syrup
• 1 1/2 cup crushed ice
• Orange wheel for garnish

Directions

Pour all ingredients into the blender and run until consistently smooth, about 1 minute. Pour into a rocks glass and garnish with orange wheel. Sub in 1 oz London dry style gin and 1/2 oz Campari for a stiffer, more botanical drink.

Frozen Irish Coffee

Picture this delicious Irish coffee as an icy treat. That’s a helluva way to start a sunny Saturday.

How do you take one of the most beloved dessert cocktails and make it even more decadent? Add ice, of course. “Nobody does it better than [New Orleans bar] Erin Rose,” says Jonathan Adler who runs Shinji’s Bar in Manhattan. “It’s the best way to beat the heat whenever you’re in New Orleans.” Even if you’re not, Adler offers up his own big, easy take on the tipple to whip up anywhere.

• 4 oz cold, strong-brewed coffee or cold brew concentrate
• 2 oz Teeling Irish Whiskey
• 1.5 oz Mr. Black coffee liqueur
• 2 oz half-and-half
• 2 oz simple syrup
• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum (optional, for thickening)
• 2 cups ice
• Nutmeg
• 1 Oreo cookie

Directions

Combine ingredients in blender. When it’s on high, add xanthan gum. Blend for another 20 seconds and serve in a chilled glass. Grate fresh nutmeg or an Oreo cookie on top.

Frozen Cucumber Basil Gimlet

Put a Gimlet on ice and enjoy cool, herbaceous sips.

One of Dunn’s preferred recipes, this cocktail is tongue-tickling, botanical, and herbaceous. It leverages the earthy elements of its base spirit: an organic gin sourced from rural Idaho. Prepped with fresh cucumber and basil, it goes down like spa water—if spa water made you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Ingredients

• 2 oz Farmer’s Organic Gin
• 3–4 cucumber slices
• 4–5 fresh basil leaves
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 3/4 oz simple syrup
• 1 cup ice
• Cucumber ribbon and basil leaf for garnish

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until silky and frosty. Pour into a chilled glass. For maximum flavor, first muddle basil and cucumber with the syrup. Freeze the cucumber for an extra frosty edge.

Slushy Paper Plane

Thought a Paper Plane wouldn’t work as a slushy delight? Think again.

The Paper Plane is a modern spin on the Last Word. Though it was initially conceived less than 20 years ago, it has already become a classic, appearing on menus across the globe. It’s bittersweet, sophisticated, and unapologetically sturdy. When slushed up, it’s at once hefty and restorative. “The Slushy Paper Plane is how I fight back when the world feels like a convection oven,” says Dunn. “It isn’t a poolside cocktail. It’s a ‘get your shit together’ cocktail, served frozen.”

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup high-proof bourbon
• 3/4 cup Amaro Nonino
• 3/4 cup Aperol
• 3/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 cup ice

Directions

Combine all ingredients into a blender and run for 45 seconds or until consistently pureed. Stir thoroughly before pouring into a tall coupe glass.

Frozen Mojito

Mojitos are a summer classic, and our recipe makes the best you’ll ever have.

I’ve never met a Mojito I didn’t like. But the frozen alternative is one that I absolutely love. It’s liquid invigoration. With enough fresh mint, I think it technically qualifies as green juice.

Ingredients

• 2 limes
• 1/4 cup simple syrup
• 12 fresh mint leaves, on the sprig
• 4 ounces Diplomatico Planas or other white rum
• 2 cups crushed ice

Directions

Juice two limes. Pour simple syrup, juice, and mint leaves into the blender and run until smooth. Add the rum and crushed ice until consistently frothy. Makes 2 drinks, poured into rocks glasses and garnished with mint.

Mama Tried

“Who doesn’t want a taste of summer all year long?” asks Iain Griffiths, co-owner of Bar Snack in Manhattan’s East Village. “This one’s super citrusy and fresh, with just a floral herbal kick on the back. It’s inspired by a summer festival in Spain but still tastes great when made at home, whenever you crave that summery feel.”

Ingredients

• 8 cubes ice
• 1/2 oz mezcal
• 1/2 oz St. Germain
• 1/2 oz Green Chartreuse
• 2 oz Yuzuco SuperJuice
• 1 1/2 oz lemon juice
• 1/2 oz grapefruit juice
• 3 tbsp sugar

Directions

Blend all ingredients together and serve into your favorite glass or cup. Garnish with grated lime zest.

The Perfect Piña Colada

It’s not summer without a Piña Colada.

“Do you like Piña Coladas?” Rupert Holmes famously inquired in the memorable ‘70s soft rock classic “Escape (The Piña Colada Song).” It must surely have been a rhetorical question, because everybody does. We’ve found a way to make them even more likable: Up the coconut. We do so here with the use of a High & Dry. The booze—made from macerating actual coconuts into Barbadian rum—just collected the award for best new spirit at the annual Tales of the Cocktail industry confab.

Ingredients

• 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup or 2 1/2 oz frozen pineapple chunks
• 3 oz well-stirred coconut cream (not cream of coconut)
• 2 oz Planteray High & Dry Coconut Rum
• 2 ounces simple syrup
• 1 cup ice
• Pineapple wedge

Directions

Juice a lime until you have 1/2 ounce of liquid. Pour the lime juice, along with all other ingredients, into a blender and mix on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour into a hurricane glass. Garnish with a fresh pineapple wedge.

Frozen Banana Daiquiri

A frozen cocktail list isn’t complete without a daiquiri. Banana is our favorite flavor.

“This is one of my favorite frozen recipes because you don’t have to do much but combine ingredients and blend,” says McLain Hedges, co-owner of the Yacht Club cocktail bar in Denver. “Yes, there is the element of making a coconut cordial, but this recipe is fairly straightforward and made with items that most people already have in the home. It allows for each ingredient to shine while also working together to create a delicious frozen cocktail.”

Ingredients

• 2 oz coconut cordial
• 1 oz Smith & Cross Rum
• 1 oz Wray & Nephew Overproof
• 3/4 oz lime juice
• 1/2 large overripe banana
• 2 dash saline or pinch salt
• 1 cup pebble ice

Directions

To make coconut cordial, combine 12 oz unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk with 4 oz sugar in a blender. Blend on low until the sugar is dissolved. It should last in the fridge for about 10 days.

Take 2 oz coconut cordial and blend on high with other ingredients until smooth. The daiquiri should have a silky consistency—not fully frozen or runny. Pour into your favorite glass and garnish with some toasted coconut and a bush of mint.

Frozen Gin and Tonic

In standard form, the gin and tonic is one of the classiest two-ingredient cocktails of all time. When making a frozen version, you want to preserve that swagger without losing any of its herbal effervescence. I suggest starting with a complex, top-shelf spirit and tempering it with fresh juice and simple syrup. Don’t blend in the tonic until the very end.

Ingredients

• 2 oz fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup cucumber, about 5 slices
• 4 oz gin (Renais preferred)
• 2 oz simple syrup
• 2 1/2 cups ice
• 4 oz tonic water

Directions

Squeeze fresh limes and collect 2 oz juice. Slice five 1/2-inch pieces of cucumber. Add lime juice, cucumber, gin, simple syrup, and ice into a blender. Blend everything together until the mixture is slushed. Slowly blend in tonic water for 10 seconds. Pour the concoction into a rocks glass and serve ASAP.

Frozen Watermelon Margarita

Watermelon is the ultimate warm-weather fruit. Why not mix it in a marg?

If you’re going to have a list of best frozen cocktails, it needs to include at least one variation of a frozen margarita. Predictable? Yes. Crowd-pleasing? Even more yes. This one rises above the rote Spring Break bar special because it relies on fresh fruit and top-shelf reposado tequila to make it fresh and ferocious.

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups seedless watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 6 oz tequila (Ocho Reposado preferred)
• 2 oz triple sec
• 1.5 cups ice
• 1 slice watermelon

Directions

Take the watermelon cubes and place them onto a baking pan to freeze overnight. When ready to use, combine frozen watermelon with all other ingredients into a blender and keep running it until uniformly pureed. Pour into a rocks glass. Garnish with a slice of watermelon.

Guava Flow

Take a page out of a Hawaiian bartender’s book and make the Guava Flow.

This two-toned creation exists as an even more colorful spin on the banana-infused Lava Flow. It was perfected at the Kona Village Rosewood Resort on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi, where you can have it served atop a beach bound shipwreck that doubles as a bar. No matter where you mix it up, however, it’ll instantly transport you to your own special island.

“It’s vibrant, refreshing, and effortlessly transports you to paradise with every sip,” says Joaquin Torres, director of wine at Kona Village Rosewood Resort. “The sweet tanginess of guava, paired with tropical undertones, embodies the essence of the island’s flavors while celebrating the spirit of relaxation and indulgence that defines our guests’ experience here. For me, it’s not just a drink; it’s a moment of connection to the beauty and inspiration of Hawai‘i.”

Ingredients

• 2 ripened guavas
• 4 oz pineapple juice
• 4 oz coconut cream
• 1 cup ice
• 3/4 cup halved strawberries
• 2.5 oz coconut rum (Planteray High & Dry preferred)
• 2.5 oz unaged rum (Wray & Nephew Overproof preferred)
• 2 maraschino cherries
• 2 slices pineapple

Directions

Cut and peel guavas into 1/4-inch thick slices. Stick into freezer—along with two Hurricane-style glasses—for several hours. Combine frozen guava slices with pineapple juice, coconut cream, and 1/2 cup ice and run in a blender until smooth. Pour out into 2 pint-sized glasses, filling them halfway, and return them to freezer. Rinse the blender and run halved strawberries with coconut rum and unaged rum for 1 minute until consistently smooth. Slowly pour it over the existing guava slush, divided out into the two glasses. Garnish with slice of fresh pineapple and maraschino cherry. Serve immediately with a straw for stirring and sipping.

Tom Collins Slushie

Collins drinks are an entire subcategory of cocktails made of spirit, citrus, syrup, and soda and poured into a tall glass. The most celebrated example is the gin-based Tom Collins. It’s been a barroom staple since the 1870s. Follow the recipe below to stay chill but true to the intended flavor profile. “If you’ve ever wanted a cocktail that makes you feel like Don Draper on vacation in Miami, this is it,” says Dunn.

Ingredients

• 4 oz dry gin
• 3 oz lemon juice
• 2 oz simple syrup
• 3–4 cups of ice
• Splash soda water
• 1 cherry
• 1 lemon wedge

Directions

Combine all ingredients into a blender. Run until consistently slushy—around 45 seconds. Makes enough to fill two highball glasses. Splash soda atop each. Garnish with either cherry or lemon.

Frapperol Spritz

“When the real-feel temperature is 107 degrees by 10 a.m., there’s no better use for your blender than this bittersweet creation,” says, Josh Nadel, director of beverage at Little Fino, inside the William Vale Hotel in Brooklyn. “The Frapperol Spritz is also a little more balanced and grown-up than your average frozen drink situation.”

Ingredients

• 1 cup Aperol
• 1 1/2 cup prosecco, gone flat
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup grapefruit juice
• 1/4 cup simple syrup
• 4 cup ice

Directions

Let Prosecco go slightly flat (a great use for a leftover bottle), then blend all ingredients until suitably slushed. Serve in a rocks or spritz glass with an orange slice. Recipe serves eight.

Frozen Grasshopper

Minty flavors are made to cool. A Frozen Grasshopper is therefore a no brainer.

As fun to drink as it is to look at, the Grasshopper is bright green crowd pleaser. It can be cloyingly sweet if you don’t balance it out, however. At Gus’s Sip and Dip in the River North neighborhood of Chicago, the bartenders add a spot of Green Chartreuse to keep all that sugar in check. We suggest you do the same.

Ingredients

• 1 oz creme de menthe
• 1/2 ounce Green Chartreuse
• 1 oz clear creme de cacao
• 3 scoop vanilla ice cream
• 1/2 cup ice
• Shaved dark chocolate
• Mint leaves

Directions

Combine every ingredient except the Chartreuse in a blender and run until of uniform consistency—around 1 minute. Add Chartreuse and blend for another 15 seconds. Pour into a Tom Collins glass and garnish with a shaved dark chocolate and fresh mint leaves.