6 Expert Tips for Making Perfect Frozen Cocktails, According to Bartenders

In the heat of summer, there’s nothing quite as alluring as a frozen drink spinning in a machine behind a bar. Frozen drinks like Margaritas, Mudslides, or Saturns are delicious and refreshing, but it can be difficult to replicate that satisfying slushy texture at home.

That’s because most bars rely on frozen drink machines, often called Margarita machines. Like ice cream machines, they slowly freeze the liquid inside the drum while spinning air into the cocktail mixture, which creates small ice crystals and a light, airy texture. 

While these machines were a popular home appliance in the ’70s and ’80s, most modern bartenders lean on blenders to blitz up a slushy cocktail. Blenders, though, can yield frozen drinks with an inconsistent texture. Room temperature ingredients, different-shaped ice, and excess water can all cause the drink to taste overly-diluted. 

However, bar-quality frozen cocktails can be achieved in a standard blender when the right techniques are used. Here are six tips for creamy, smooth, and refreshing frozen cocktails at home, according to professional bartenders. 

Chill the ingredients in advance 

“Temperature control is key when it comes to frozen cocktails,” says Ben Hopkins, beverage director at Pitt’s and Agi’s Counter in Brooklyn. Mixing warm or room temperature spirits, syrups, or juices with ice when blending can cause the ice to melt more quickly, leading to watery frozen cocktails. 

Hopkins suggests batching the cocktail ingredients in advance and storing them overnight in the fridge before blending. Kevin Beary, beverage director of Three Dots and a Dash and Gus’s Sip and Dip in Chicago, uses a similar batching technique for frozen cocktails at his bars: “We get the best results by mixing frozen cocktail ingredients [minus fresh juices] together ahead of time and freezing them,” he says. “At the time of service, we blend [the cocktail mix with] crushed ice and fresh juice. This yields the best consistency, which is the most challenging part of frozen drinks using a blender.” 

Add extra mixer

Shaking or stirring a cocktail with ice both chills down the cocktail and creates some dilution. But the ice in a frozen drink should be thought of as an additional ingredient since it makes up such a high ratio of the cocktail. When transforming a traditionally shaken or stirred cocktail into a frozen one, Hopkins alters the ratio of the cocktail ingredients to ensure the flavors of the drink come through.

“For frozen citrus-forward drinks like a Daiquiri or a Margarita, I’ve found that keeping the spirit portion of a classic cocktail the same, while using about a quarter of an ounce more citrus and syrup per drink, tends to produce a really lovely product,” says Hopkins. 

Work in batches

While a blender container can hold a large quantity of ingredients, Carolina Gonzalez, beverage director of Diego and Trino in Chicago, suggests making frozen cocktails one at a time. “[Working in small batches] helps control the dilution, the melting of the cocktail, and helps maintain the texture and consistency of the drink,” she says. The smaller volume in the blender allows for a shorter blend time, mitigating the risk of dilution. 

Use the right ice 

When it comes to frozen blender drinks, not all ice is created equal. “You want the ice to be small enough so it will not damage your blender, but still very hard and as dry as possible,” says Hopkins. They recommend filling a clean trash bag (which is often sturdier than a plastic food storage bag) with ice, then hitting it with a rolling pin or meat cleaver. “You’re looking for pea-sized pieces of ice,” says Hopkins. “Store the bag of crushed ice in the freezer overnight to control melting.” 

Ice enthusiasts might have a pebble ice maker at home, which Gonzalez recommends for frozen cocktails. “Pebble ice has a finer texture and can cool drinks down for longer without melting,” she says. “It’ll blend faster as the blender won’t work as hard trying to break through bigger-sized cubes.”

Weigh your ingredients

It’s hard to measure ice in a traditional measuring cup. Ice comes in a variety of shapes and sizes — one cup of cubed ice is a very different amount of frozen water compared to one cup of crushed ice. To mitigate this inconsistency and ensure accuracy, use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients. 

“The golden ratio for frozen drinks is generally one part ice to one part liquid cocktail ingredients,” Hopkins says. Start by zeroing the scale with your empty blender, then add the liquid ingredients. Add an equal measure (by weight) of crushed ice to your blender and blend until just smooth. “Adding the liquid first and then ice to cover the liquid so that the ice is just peaking out about above the wash line generally works too,” says Hopkins. 

Use xanthan gum

A common emulsifier and natural thickening agent found in restaurant kitchens, xanthan gum is Hopkins’ secret ingredient to achieving soft, creamy frozen cocktails in a blender. “Any home bartender can use xanthan gum to drastically improve the texture and mouthfeel of their frozen cocktails,” says Hopkins.

A little goes a long way. “If you add one teaspoon per frozen drink portion, you’ll consistently be able to create the creamy, silky quality of a professional frozen machine without sacrificing dilution for texture.” Find xantham gum in the baking aisle at the grocery store or online.