24 Chilled Cocktail Recipes to Refresh Your Summer

Sure, a classic chilled cocktail can be refreshing. But, in the height of summer, sometimes we need an option that’s a little frostier to keep us feeling cool. Enter the frozen cocktail — an ultra-chilly and satisfying way to enjoy your boozy sips when the sun is shining. By blending your chosen cocktail add-ins with ice cubes, ice cream, or frozen fruits, you’ll create a thicker, slushie-like texture and ensure that your drink stays cold for as long as possible. And, there are endless ingredient combinations to explore, too.

From vibrant, fruity treats to rich, creamy concoctions, there’s truly a frozen cocktail for every occasion, and today, we’ve rounded up some of our favorites. Several of these come together with minimal ingredients, while others make use of exotic liqueurs and elegant garnishes. Whether you’re hosting a pool party or barbecue, or simply enjoying a peaceful summer’s day at home, these drinks are sure to hit the spot. So, let’s take a look at some of the tastiest ways to quench your thirst this summer.

This fruity mix-up takes the classic strawberry daiquiri and transforms it into a frosty delight, making it the perfect sunny day sip. First, you’ll add frozen strawberries, ice, Grand Marnier, rum, simple syrup, and lime juice to a blender. Then, simply blitz everything up until nice and smooth. There’s also the option to make an alcohol-free version of this drink by substituting the Grand Marnier for orange juice. Garnish your daiquiri with some fresh mint leaves and a dried orange round for the ultimate elegant finish.

Recipe: Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri Cocktail

With its striking two-tone look, this creamy, fruity drink is sure to impress your guests. The bottom half is a simple mixture of frozen strawberries and light rum, while the top half is made with frozen bananas blended with coconut rum, pineapple juice, coconut cream, and ice. It’s a wonderfully complementary mashup of ingredients and creamy tropical flavor that truly tastes like summer in a glass, perfect for serving with a fresh pineapple wedge garnish.

Recipe: Frozen Lava Flow Cocktail

A pretty, pale pink drink with plenty of tang, this frozen paloma exudes elegance. With the frosty mixture piled high into coupe glasses, the cocktail has a rather dreamy, cloud-like appearance. To make it, you’ll blitz ice with ruby red grapefruit juice, tequila, agave, and lime juice. Once blended to smooth, frosty perfection, pour the mixture into the glasses and top everything up with sweet-tart grapefruit soda for a dose of refreshing fizziness.

Recipe: Easy Frozen Paloma

If a margarita is your go-to cocktail, but you fancy something even more refreshing, try giving this classic sip an icy makeover. First, prep your glasses by rubbing the rims with a fresh lime wedge and dipping them in coarse sea salt. The cocktail itself is made with tequila, lime juice, Cointreau, agave syrup, and ice, all blended. Place the lime wedge garnish as the perfect finishing touch. This one would taste fantastic with a side of crunchy tortilla chips and homemade guacamole.

Recipe: Classic Frozen Margarita Cocktail

Boldly blue and loaded with creamy, tropical taste, this cooling concoction features all the usual elements of a traditional Blue Hawaiian cocktail, including white rum, blue Curaçao, and coconut cream. But, when it comes to the pineapple component, which is usually added in the form of juice, we instead go for chunks of frozen fruit, turning the boozy cocktail into a thick, refreshing slushie. This frosty drink is best served topped with a bright red maraschino cherry for the ultimate color contrast.

Recipe: Frozen Blue Hawaiian Cocktail

Featuring the sweet richness of crème de cacao (a type of chocolate liqueur) and the heady warmth of cognac or brandy, this drink strikes the perfect balance between indulgence and refreshment. A frozen brandy Alexander cocktail begins with both liquors being blitzed with ice cream in a blender. Then, once it’s poured into two chilled glasses, it’s time for those all-important garnishes. Top the creamy drinks with a generous swirl of whipped cream and a scattering of cacao nibs to amp up the sophistication.

Recipe: Frozen Brandy Alexander Cocktail

There are few fruits as refreshing as a sweet, juicy watermelon. So, what better fruit to incorporate into a cooling cocktail? Make sure to prep the fresh melon the day before by slicing it into chunks, arranging them on a baking sheet, and popping them in the freezer overnight. Then, it’ll be ready to give your drink a beautifully creamy, icy texture. You’ll blend up the watermelon with pink gin, peach schnapps, grenadine, and lime juice, which results in an irresistibly boozy, sweet, and tangy sip.

Recipe: Creamy Frozen Watermelon Cocktail

This painkiller slushie is the ultimate fruity show-stopper, and it’s bursting with bright, tropical flavors. To create that eye-catching ombré look, you’ll blend grenadine into half of the base mixture (that’s pineapple juice, rum, orange juice, cream of coconut, and ice) to give it a gorgeous bright pink hue. For the ultimate laid-back, island feel, serve the cocktail in a tiki glass. First, pour the grenadine-free portion into the bottom of the glass, then top with the pink mixture, and give everything a gentle stir to create that stunning color gradient.

Recipe: Painkiller Slushie

For a drink that perfectly balances sweetness and heat, give this hot honey-bourbon slushie a try. The bourbon’s naturally spicy, smoky flavor notes complement the warmth of the chili-infused honey brilliantly. The vanilla ice cream gives the drink a rich, milkshake-like feel, balanced with a splash of milk and a pinch of flaky sea salt. Garnishing your finished icy creation with a generous drizzle of extra hot honey is highly recommended, too! Try serving this grown-up slushie alongside your favorite decadent dessert, like a slice of warm chocolate torte or classic tiramisu.

Recipe: Hot Honey-Bourbon Slushie

Wonderfully decadent and brimming with chocolatey goodness, this boozy frozen treat is the hot chocolate lover’s new summertime staple. To ensure a rich and flavorful result, it contains both melted dark chocolate and cocoa powder. These are combined in a double boiler with a sprinkle of sugar before stirring in milk to create the hot chocolate base. Once this mixture cools, blitz it with ice, bourbon, coffee liqueur, and a pinch of salt until deliciously frothy. And of course, whipped cream and chocolate shavings are a must.

Recipe: Luxe Spiked Frozen Hot Chocolate

The holy grail of tropical cocktails, the famous piña colada is cherished for its blend of sweet, tangy, and creamy flavors. And, we love amping up the chill factor by blitzing the ingredients with ice. You’ll need cream of coconut, pineapple juice, and frozen pineapple chunks. Once this thick, fruity blend has been divided between glasses, you can go all out with the garnishes — bold maraschino cherries, whipped cream, extra pineapple chunks, or some tiki-inspired pineapple leaves.

Recipe: Easy Virgin Piña Colada

Transport yourself to a faraway tropical destination with this vibrant frozen Bahama Mama. Featuring three types of rum, freshly squeezed orange juice, and pineapple juice, this cocktail effortlessly combines booziness with fruitiness. Grenadine adds a hint of sweetness and plenty of color, while crushed ice delivers that satisfying frosty texture. To take the drink to the next level, we garnish it with a slice of beautifully charred, grilled fresh pineapple, a sweet Amarena cherry, and a carefully arranged trio of pineapple leaves.

Recipe: Triple Rum Frozen Bahama Mama

Mango is a gloriously sunny fruit with a versatile, easily blendable nature that works especially well in a cocktail. And, in this frozen mango margarita, the fruit’s natural aromatic sweetness truly shines. Prep your margarita glasses with a quick rub of lime and dip them into a bowl of cayenne salt, then get to work blending your cocktail ingredients. You’ll need a sweet and tangy medley of tequila, triple sec, lime juice, agave, and frozen mango chunks. The resulting cocktail pairs beautifully with spicy, Mexican-inspired dishes like these dynamite shrimp tacos.

Recipe: Sip-Worthy Frozen Mango Margarita

Bring the milkshake vibes to your summertime sipping with this epic Nutella mudslide cocktail. It features a moreish Nutella sauce, which gets drizzled all over the inside of the glass, adding heaps of irresistible chocolate-hazelnut flavor. As for the cocktail mixture, this has a smooth ice cream base, which is blended with more Nutella, coffee liqueur, Irish cream liqueur, and vodka. Pour this into the sauced-up glasses, add lashings of whipped cream, a dusting of cocoa powder, and a crispy Pirouette cookie, and you’ve got a fantastically indulgent chilled treat.

Recipe: Frozen Nutella Mudslide Cocktail

Cranberry sauce isn’t just for dolloping onto roasted turkey. It’s also great for injecting some delicious sweet-tart taste into your frozen drinks. To make this cosmo-inspired, cranberry sauce-infused cocktail, you’ll only need four other ingredients — that’s vodka, Cointreau, lime juice, and ice. Once blended, the result is an irresistibly smooth, slushie-esque mixture that provides plenty of berry flavor while delivering a respectable alcoholic kick. This drink would make an excellent accompaniment to a grazing table of cured meats, dips, cheeses, and olives.

Recipe: Cranberry Sauce Frozen Cosmo

This undeniably elegant drink couldn’t feel any better suited to summer sipping, with its fruity rosé base and bright berry flavors. Rather than blending the cocktail ingredients with ice, you’ll make this one by freezing a base mixture of dry rosé and Chambord liqueur. Blend with frozen strawberries and raspberries, plus a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and an extra glug of rosé. This creates a punchy drink with a sorbet-like consistency that’s perfect for adorning with more fresh berries.

Recipe: Frose Cocktail

The Shirley Temple is a beloved mocktail typically made with soda and grenadine. But, in this frozen version, we mix things up by subbing in pomegranate juice and ginger beer. It retains that signature fizz, sweetness, and color, while elevating the overall flavor with notes of warmth and fruitiness. You’ll blitz these two ingredients with a dash of pomegranate molasses, some freshly squeezed lime juice, and cherry syrup to amp up the sweetness and tang. And, you could totally make things boozier by adding some of your favorite liquor, if preferred.

Recipe: Next-Level Frozen Shirley Temple

This frozen cocktail almost feels like it could double as a dessert, offering plenty of sweetness and citrusy flavor, but most certainly not disappointing in the booze department. A generous glug of bourbon adds a smoky warmth to the drink, black tea bags bring their distinctive earthy taste, and ginger ale keeps things light. Frozen lemonade concentrate and orange juice concentrate are two key ingredients that add a far more potent dose of flavor than fresh juice or lemonade can.

Recipe: Bourbon Slush Cocktail

If wine is your go-to drink but you fancy something a little more cooling, this wine slushie is the perfect solution. And, you’ll only need two ingredients to make it. Just grab a bag of frozen mixed berries and a bottle of your favorite sweet red wine. Then, you guessed it, just combine the two together in a blender until irresistibly thick and frosty. Serve the slushie in coup glasses for a sophisticated feel, and garnish as you please — perhaps with a sprig of mint or some extra berries.

Recipe: Easy Wine Slushie

Tequila’s smokier cousin, mezcal, is a match made in heaven for sweet, juicy watermelon. In this refreshing tipple, the frozen melon is first blended with a splash of water to create a thick frozen base. Then, lime juice, simple syrup, and the mezcal are tossed into the mix, balancing the sweet fruit beautifully. Serve the drink in salt-rimmed glasses with garnishes of your choice, such as mint leaves, watermelon wedges, and slices of lime.

Recipe: Frozen Watermelon Mezcal Margarita

Rhubarb is often overlooked as a cocktail ingredient, but it’s sure to go down a treat in your next icy creation. Here, it’s paired with strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and honey for a delightful contrast of sweetness and tanginess. And, with this drink, the method is a little different. You’ll start by heating the ingredients in a pan to break down the fruit, then freezing the mixture to create a sorbet-like consistency. Scoop this into glasses, pour over some sparkling wine for a fizzy finish, and garnish with fresh strawberry slices.

Recipe: Elevated Rhubarb Slush Spritz

Bright and zesty, the classic Negroni is a favorite for many cocktail connoisseurs. And, transforming it into a frozen delight couldn’t be easier with the help of some ice. You’ll need the classic trio of Campari, gin, and sweet vermouth, plus a splash of orange juice for extra color and sweetness. The final, frosted drink feels wonderfully sophisticated, with its icy texture and citrusy taste making it ultra-refreshing. Garnish the chilly drink with an aromatic twist of fresh orange peel to make it look even more appealing.

Recipe: Frozen Negroni

Give a classic margarita a refreshing berry makeover with the addition of vibrant frozen strawberries. Just blitz these with tequila, Cointreau, honey, and lime juice, and the mixture is ready to pour into glasses. The result is the most wonderful combination of citrusy, zesty, and fruity flavors. This cocktail also features a deliciously sweet and salty rim for the glasses, made by crushing up freeze-dried strawberries or raspberries with flaky sea salt. Garnish your drink with a whole strawberry and a juicy slice of lime to keep things fresh.

Recipe: Refreshing Frozen Strawberry Margarita

An indulgent blend of chocolate and coffee flavors, this grown-up milkshake is lighter than your typical ice cream-based drink, but still feels far richer than your average cocktail. It features white rum, white crème de cacao, coffee liqueur, whole milk, and cream of coconut, which all complement each other fantastically, creating a decadent, dessert-like treat. We love to top everything off with a generous sprinkling of chocolate shavings and serve the drink as a satisfying post-dinner treat.

Recipe: Bushwacker Alcoholic Milkshake

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