Tips for Making Frozen Drinks in a Blender
Making the perfect frozen drink requires an important kitchen appliance โ a good blender โ and some handy tips. Youโll be blending drinks like a pro in no time.
Frozen alcoholic drinks really hit the spot. All the relaxing buzziness of an alcoholic beverage with the cold refreshing taste of a frozen treat is exactly what a hot day calls for. When ordering these up at a bar or restaurant, they come out perfectly, more often than not. But when youโre trying to blend up some frozen margaritas for your summer parties and theyโre coming out a watery mess, you begin to realize thereโs an art to creating a frozen beverage.
What do bartenders know that you donโt? And how can you improve your chances at blending together that perfect frozen alcoholic drink? Here are some tips and tricks that will help you achieve frozen beverage bliss.
1. Use A Powerful Blender
You need a blender thatโll do the job right. Thereโs nothing worse than having huge chunks of ice cube still floating around in your frozen drink. To that end, you need to use a high-powered blender. Aย Ninja,ย Blendtecย orย Vitamixย should do the job nicely.
There are alsoย frozen beverage machines, made solely for the task of creating the perfect frozen mixed drink. I would recommend one of these if you have the money to spend and you make frozen cocktails regularly, as you know that they will have the specs to do exactly what you need them to do. Many of them even have a spout built into the machine so you can pour directly from the blender into a glass.ย Frozen daiquirisย ready to go? Yes, please!
2. Use Crushed Ice
All too often people just dump a tray of ice cubes into a blender and expect that to be enough. Breaking down big bulky cubes into a manageable slush makes your blender work overtime. By using crushed ice, part of the blenderโs job is already done. The end result gives you the perfect consistency, without having to over blend.
You also want to make sure youโre using the right amount. You want your drink to be slushie but too much ice will give you a watered down, weak drink.
3. Start With Cold Ingredients
Start by planning ahead and getting your ingredients into the fridge or freezer to cool down. Having your alcohol and other ingredients already chilly means they wonโt start melting the ice in your cocktail immediately. You donโt want overly diluted frozen cocktails.ย
Get the vodka in the freezer and chill the ginger beer to blend up some amazing Frozen Moscow Mules.
4. Use Frozen Fruit
If youโre using fruit in your frozen drink recipe, consider using frozen fruit rather than room temperature. Whether this means you freeze fresh fruit or buy pre-packaged frozen fruit from your grocery store, the end result will be thicker, with a more pleasing consistency. If you want more flavor, consider freezing the fruit yourself when itโs fresh. Try it out with this Frozen Mango Margarita recipe.
5. Start The Blender On Low
Cranking up your blender to high speed is a common mistake made out of impatience or eagerness. Either way, itโs a great way to hurt your expensive blender blades. Start it off with a few pulses, just to start breaking up the ingredients. Then, move it to a low setting and slowly crank it up until youโre blending on high. A little patience goes a long way when creating the perfect frozen drink.
6. Donโt Blend For Too Long
One of the easiest mistakes to make when creating a frozen beverage is letting the blender run for too long. Doing this can create a thin or runny beverage. Donโt sacrifice that perfect slushy consistency. It should be your end goal.
So, there you have it! The essential tips on how to create the perfect frozen beverage. What is your favorite frozen drink recipe? Sound off in the comment section and let us know!
