It is crazy HOT in Texas in August and this year is no exception! What could be better than frozen cocktails to cool off on a sweltering hot day? We will be trying some new and old favorites and posting them for all our readers to try. Starting with gin (still my beverage of choice) and an old classic with a new twist, the Frozen Negroni. ~~Kay
Frozen Negroni
This makes 3 to 4 cocktails.
- 4 1/2 ounces Gin (I like Ford’s)
- 2 1/2 ounces Campari
- 2 1/2 Sweet Vermouth
- 3 cups ice
- Garnish: Orange slices
Combine gin, Campari and sweet vermouth in an air tight container. Place in the freezer for at least 8 hours. It will not freeze solid due to the alcohol content, rather it will become the consistency of a slushie.
Add chilled alcohol and ice to a blender. Blend on high speed until smooth. Serve in rocks glasses and garnish with an orange slice.
You can keep the mix in the freezer and blend individual drinks as needed using 1/4 to 1/3 of the freezer mix with enough ice cubes to make the consistency you like.
Gin and Tonic is one of my favorite summer drinks, so when I saw a frozen version, I had to try it. This does require a purchase of tonic syrup—which is probably available in larger cities at the liquor store. Here in Rockport, I had to resort to ordering from Amazon. The brand I bought was Small Hand Foods and I discovered that it has much less sugar per serving than tonic water. If you add a half ounce to 2.5 ounces of gin and top off with seltzer or club soda, you have a classic gin and tonic with lots less sugar. Be sure to try the frozen version as well—definitely cools you off! ~~Lynda
Frozen Gin and Tonic
- 4 ounces gin
- 1 ounce tonic syrup
- 1 ounce simple syrup**
- 2 dashes orange bitters
- 1.5 ounces fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
- Lime wedges for garnish
Combine gin, tonic syrup, simple syrup, bitters and lime juice in a resealable container. Seal and put in freezer for at least 1 hour (longer is better). Pour into blender and add about 12 ice cubes. Blend until smooth and Enjoy! Makes 2 cocktails.
**Note: I did not add simple syrup to my version. I don’t care for really sweet drinks. I thought the drink was just right but if you like your drinks on the sweeter side, stick with the addition of the simple syrup.
Thanks for reading and stay cool!
