16 Slushy Drinks for the Summer

There’s nothing quite as refreshing as a slushy drink on a hot day, and I don’t mean the bubblegum flavored ones we had as kids!

For those looking for a bit of slushy sophistication, check out these 16 ways to enjoy slush this summer.

1. Cucumber Lime Slush

Nothing brings on the cool sophistication quite like this slush drink!

½ to 1 cup evaporated cane juice

1 cup water

1 sprig Thai basil

1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped

½ cup fresh squeezed lime juice

6 cups of crushed ice

Extra slices of lime, cucumber and Thai basil for garnish.

Simmer the water and cane juice in a pan and add the basil once off the heat. Stand until cooled, and then remove the basil. Pour the syrup into a blender and add the remaining ingredients.

2. Cherry Limeade Margarita

An alcoholic slush – what’s not to like?

1 can frozen limeade concentrate

1 can water

2 tbsp tart cherry juice concentrate or grenadine

3 tbsp good tequila

Ice

Put all ingredients in a blender and fill with ice. Blend on high until smooth, and add more ice if needed. Top with maraschino cherries and lime slices to serve.

3. Watermelon Frosty

Watermelon is the taste of summer, and deserves to be paired with some cool slush.

2 cups frozen watermelon cubes

½ frozen banana

Juice of ½ lime

½ tablespoon honey

2-3 leaves of mint

Combine in blender and blitz until mixed but still thick.

4. Tropical Frozen Sangria

Another way to enjoy sangria, this will make you feel like you’re sitting in a tropical paradise.

1 ½ c. white wine

1 c. strawberries

1 c. pineapple

¼ c. lemonade

¼ c. vodka

2 tbsp triple sec

2 tbsp sugar to taste

Put all ingredients in a freezer safe container, and freeze overnight. Spoon into a blender and blend until smooth.

5. Homemade Slushies

These are good, old-fashioned slushies like the type you had when you were a kid.

4 cups cold water

1 cup of sugar

1 ½ tsp McCormick Raspberry Extract

4-6 drops McCormick Neon Blue Food Coloring

Combine water and sugar in a large bowl and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add raspberry extract and stir well. Add food coloring, and put into an ice-cream maker for around 20 minutes.

6. Wine Slushies

The two ingredients in this slushy make it super-easy, and it’s one of the best ways to enjoy wine in the summer heat.

1 bottle pink Zinfandel

1 cup frozen mixed berries

Put the wine and berries in a blender and puree. Strain the mixture, then pour into a shallow dish. Freeze for 30 minutes, then scrape the mixture with a fork. Repeat 3 times for the perfect slushy consistency. Serve

7. Banana Licuado

This Mexican smoothie looks divine, and tastes like it, too!

2 cups milk

1 ripe banana

2 tablespoons sugar

Several handfuls of ice

Nutmeg garnish (optional)

Place the banana, milk, ice and sugar in a high-speed blender and pulse until smooth. Pour in glasses and sprinkle with nutmeg, if using.

8. The Dirty Mojito Slushy

What more is there to say?

1 cup fresh lime juice

1 cup water

½ cup regular or light brown sugar

½ cup dark rum

Small handful of fresh mint leaves

¾ tsp powdered gelatin (optional)

Add water, mint and sugar to a bowl. Stir or whisk until the mint is crushed and the sugar dissolved. Add the lime juice and rum, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Dissolve the gelatin in 1 tbsp water and let sit for a few minutes. Whisk gelatin into lime juice and rum. Pour everything into the bowl of an ice cream maker and run for a bout 20 minutes. Serve with mint and limes.

9. Watermelon Moscato Squash

Whip up this refreshing summer drink with watermelon and white wine.

6 cups watermelon cubes, seeds removed

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup Moscato or other slightly sweet white wine

Extra Moscato for serving

Put the watermelon cubes in a food processor or blender, and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture over a large bowl to remove the pulp, and keep the juice. Stir the sugar and lemon juice into the watermelon juice until sugar is dissolved. Stir in Moscato. Put the bowl in a freezer for 2-3 hours, stirring with a fork every 45 minutes or so.

10. Coconut Almond Frappucino

Dairy-free iced coffee – delish!

1 cup strongly brewed Green Mountain Island Coconut Coffee

½ cup almond milk

Sweetener if required

1 cup of ice

Whipped coconut cream

Chocolate shavings to garnish (optional)

Make coffee, mix with almond milk and sweetener. Refrigerate until cold, then place in blender with ice. Blend until smooth. Serve topped with whipped coconut cream.

To make coconut cream: refrigerate a can of coconut milk overnight. Remove the waxy oil that will be at the top of the can. Place coconut milk in a bowl and whisk on high for about 3-5 minutes until soft peaks start to form.

11. White Grapes and Champagne Granita

A classy dessert made from Champagne and grapes.

3 cups green seedless grapes, without stems

½ cup Champagne

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Green seedless grapes for garnish

Puree grapes in blender, then strain through a sieve. Add Champagne, sugar and lemon juice and stir until dissolved. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 3-4 hours, stirring every hour. Garnish with grapes and serve.

12. Pomegranate Blueberry Matcha Tea Slushy

Get your fill of antioxidants in this tasty and virtuous drink.

2 tbsp Matcha green tea powder

1-2 tbsp raw honey or other sweetener

1 cup frozen blueberries

½ cup pomegranate juice

200g ice cubes

Whisk the Matcha powder into ½ cup hot water. Add sweetener of choice and stir until dissolved. Puree the frozen blueberries, pomegranate juice and cooled Matcha tea with the ice cubes in a blender until smooth. Serve immediately.

13. Tropical Orange Slush

This would make a fab alcoholic brunch drink on a hot day.

2 cups mango orange juice

4 tablespoons grenadine

Crushed ice

Sliced oranges

Vodka (optional)

Fill two glasses with crushed ice; divide the grenadine and vodka between the glasses. Pour orange juice over the top and garnish with orange slices. Cheers!

14. Orange Brewlius

Beer plus orange Julius!

7 fl oz orange juice

½ cup Belgian ale

2 tbsp heavy cream

2 tbsp powdered sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

Pour orange juice into ice cube trays and freeze for around 2 hours. Put the cubes and the remaining ingredients in a blender, and blitz until frothy.

15. Blood Orange Mojito Squash

A feast for the eyes as well as the stomach.

25 mint leaves

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup water

½ cup blood orange juice

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 cup sparkling water

2 fl oz rum (optional)

Heat the sugar, water and mint in a pan and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and chill for at least an hour in the fridge. Strain and discard the mint. Stir the syrup with the rest of the ingredients except for the rum, and pour into a slush maker. Once slushy, add the rum and stir again until thick.

16. Pina Colada Smoothie

This smoothie incorporates banana, pineapple, coconut and mango – that’s four of your five fruits a day.

1 cup pineapple

1 cup frozen mango chunks

½ banana

1 cup coconut milk

Blend all the ingredients together until smooth. As simple as that!