13 Frozen Cocktails That Are Worth The Brain Freeze

Some say that slushy drinks are for movie theaters. For theme parks. For children. But when it’s so hot it feels like you could fry an egg on the sidewalk, there are only two things that effectively cool us down: an ice-cold shower, or a boozy, frozen cocktail. (Possibly both at the same time.) We’ve scoured the city for the very best, very coldest, not-too-sweet, properly stiff drinks, and these are the ones that made the cut. Here are our favorite slushies for self-respecting adults.

THE DRINKS

Superbueno

While it might not technically rehydrate you, Superbueno’s smoky, salty, pineapple smoothie-like Adobada Bam Bam is an exceptionally thirst-quenching drink. Spiked with mezcal, falernum, and adobada spices it definitely feels like you’re replacing electrolytes with every sip, as you glow under the neon lights and luchador masks of this high-energy East Village bar.

Sappe

Drinking a fluffy pink frozen cocktail alongside some Thai skewers should be on just about every summer bucket list. Sappe’s offering makes the cut: the Somsri, pink with guava purée, and balanced with lime zest and gold tequila, cools down even the laab ped udon at this West Village restaurant.

Oxomoco

File the frozen cocktails at this upscale Mexican restaurant in the fantasy section of the library, because there’s definitely some alchemy involved here. The offerings rotate regularly, but there are usually a couple frozen drinks available—all with more nuanced flavors than you'd expect at 32 degrees or below. Most recently, we loved a spicy and refreshing Nopalito with cucumber, mint, mezcal, and sotol. Sit outside and drink several, alongside some spiced peanuts and smoked mango.

Paradise Lost

This East Village tiki bar is like a spring break horror movie, complete with fake tropical plants and creepy light and sound effects. Don’t expect resort package drinks though—the frozen cocktails here are hauntingly good. Try a creamy, black strap-sweetened piña colada, or the Blind Dragon, a juicier drink of tequila, clarin, rum and dragonfruit.

Yellow Rose

Rimmed with ground chile and salt, this frozen margarita from South Texas by way of the East Village is perfect in every way. Balanced by the rim, the cocktail isn’t too sweet, with tons of nuanced citrus flavor. It’s plenty boozy, and would cool you down even if that hot Texas sun was beating down your neck.

Rocco’s Of Roc Beach

While there is no shortage of frozen cocktails available in The Rockaways , Rocco’s frozen limoncello is not to be skipped. The pizzeria takes its cues from the frozen lemonade you find all over the city—except this one will give you sea legs without going near the ocean.

Broken Land

Walk down any North Brooklyn street with sidewalk tables, and you’re guaranteed to see at least a dozen Aperol spritzes per block. Switch it up every once in a while with Broken Land’s frozen version of the Italian seaside cooler. It’s $10 during happy hour at this  Greenpoint cocktail bar, and you can add a float of dark rum or coffee liqueur for an extra $2.

The Commodore

Booking travel to the Florida Keys is expensive. Ordering “The Commodore” at The Commodore bar in Williamsburg (or at their East Village location ) is not. It’s a piña colada that gets gussied up with an amaretto float, bringing a nutty sophistication, and an instant watch-setting change to Island Time.

Lullaby

Ok, this is kinda kind of cheating—Lullaby’s Dole Whip isn’t technically a frozen cocktail, but more of a boozy float. The Lower East Side bar’s menu description reads “get the little kid in you drunk…again.” Take their advice. Pineapple soft serve with a sherry and spiced rum cocktail, served in a corner deli paper coffee cup? Bliss. Grace. Perfection.

Donna

We love Donna for a couple of reasons. The first is that it’s worker-owned, and the second is that the West Village spot (originally in Williamsburg) has one of the most refreshing takes on a piña colada that you can find in New York. Their brancolada is loaded with mint, cutting through what would otherwise be a pretty sweet drink—and making it the perfect sip for a first date if it’s a scorcher outside.

Tiki Chick

For a night of concentrated frozen cocktail drinking, head to Tiki Chick on the Upper West Side. The spring break-decorated bar, from the people behind Jacob’s Pickle , has seven frozen drinks on tap at all times, with everything from a fruity Hurricane (which you can even get zero-ABV), to a pickle brine infused-Painkiller.

Rippers

Rippers is a place that feels like it was purpose-built to drink one too many slushies, not that we’ve ever done that. The beachside spot in Rockaway Beach rotates their frozen drinks regularly, but a yuzu marg is on tap for the summer of 2024. Sip it alongside an excellent cheeseburger on a colorful picnic table.

San Pedro

It’s a damn shame that it’s not socially acceptable to bring your drinks into the bathroom, because San Pedro Inn’s toilets look out onto a gorgeous little zen garden, which would be a lovely thing to contemplate while sipping their punchy piña coladas and frozen margaritas. Instead, sit out on the sidewalk at this Red Hook bar and restaurant, and meditate on your frosty beverage as you wait for your table at Red Hook Tavern .