The 10 best frozen drinks in Boston

This eatery brings the heat of Baja to Back Bay, but there’s no need to turn up that AC because it also serves some incredible frozen beverages. Alongside its menu of Mexican-inspired fare, Citrus & Salt offers cheeky drink selections that’ll provide a welcomed cool down. Amongst its top-notch icy libations, you’ll find Becky Juice (a mix of Cazadores tequila, naranja, rosé wine, watermelon, strawberry, agave and lemon) and Adios Pantalones (a liquid medley of Grey Goose, raspberries, lime juice and rock sugar), which translates to “Goodbye Pants” so be sure to wear a belt or, even better, some suspenders.

Even though Winthrop’s Blackstrap BBQ is technically outside the scope of Metro Boston, it has an entire section of its drink menu dedicated to “blendies” so it’s earned its place on this list. A frozen cocktail is kind of a fun novelty in and of itself, but the bar at this barbecue joint gives an even heavier pour of playfulness by channeling childhood nostalgia. Its assortment of chilly concoctions—which bring us right back to our youth, but with hard liquor—includes the Stay Puft Marshmallow (a blend of marshmallow-flavored vodka, Rumchata, Frangelico and ice cream mix), The Man in the Yellow Hat (Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey, crème de banana and ice cream mix) and the Malibu Barbie (Malibu Rum and Dell’s watermelon slush). One sip and you’ll feel like a kid again… and likely pretty tipsy. 

 Committee has totally iced up its cocktail menu this summer, and it comes to no surprise that this Seaport ouzeri and bar has used its slushy beverages to celebrate Greek spirits. Amongst its long list of Greek-driven frozen drinks: dtsolakis@hotmail.com, a mix of Retsina wine, Stray Dog Wild Gin, Mt. Olympus flower tea and lime; Hermes Wallbangeropolis, which combines ouzo, Vyssino sour cherry, mango, orange and lime; Tiki...Poso S'Agapo, a blend of Tsipouro, Metaxa, baklava orgeat, pineapple and Success vodka; and a Frozen Mastjito, which is basically a Mastiha-based mojito. You might have to Google most of those ingredients, but we assure you that it’s all just a whole lot of “opa!” on ice.

Take a short stroll from Harvard Square and you’ll find this quaint bistro known for its picturesque patio, hyper-local sourcing… and frozen drinks. This casual Cambridge spot serves straightforward, seasonal food made with ingredients from nearby farmers, fishermen and, of course, foragers. The bar is no different, with its drink list changing to reflect the time of year—and always with a frozen libation or two to choose from. Obviously, its selection of cold concoctions rarely stays the same, but recent blended creations include the Frozen New Olympia (Manzanilla sherry, Cocchi Americano, rhubarb, rose and mint) as well as the Beatniks & Bohemians (St. George Absinthe Verte, dry curaçao, beet, hazelnut orgeat and lovage).

Frosé has successfully infiltrated Boston’s drink scene over the past couple of years, but as common as this icy blush beverage may now be in our city, no one serves it quite like Strega does. This larger-than-life North End restaurant and favorite amongst celebrities offers a rotating selection of wine slushies each day—and you can order them by the tree. Strega will artfully arrange these frozen cocktails on a floral-covered topiary and deliver them to your table of four or more people, perfect for whenever you just want to be extra. It’s Insta-worthy and downright delicious.  

There’s nothing quite like slurping down a big old milkshake at a diner counter, especially when there’s a ton of alcohol in it. Rosebud, located in Somerville’s Davis Square, is known for its fresh takes on classic comfort food—and that includes its celebrated selection of boozy milkshakes. Everyday, this place offers these frappes made with either vanilla, chocolate or coffee ice cream, but all blended with some good old-fashioned liquor. To mix things up, the bar also serves a special bonus flavor each week, including its recent slew of Hostess- and Little Debbie-inspired concoctions (i.e. Cosmic Brownie, Nutty Buddy and Twinkie).

If you’re in the Seaport, you need to go to Greco and grab a granita. The eatery, located right by Pier 4, sells this boozy beverage (a favorite amongst Greek beach-goers) as a means to cool down and turn up. It comes in two house flavors—Mastiha with basil, lemon and watermelon, and Sangria with Xinomavro Greek wine, cinnamon, orange and pomegranate. After slurping down a couple of these granitas, you’ll finally be ready to book that flight to Mykonos… even if your bank account most definitely is not.

This South Boston spot may center its beverage program around classic Italian amari and spritz, but the bar also knows how to let loose and embrace some blended drinks. Staying on trend, Fox and the Knife mixes up batches of frosé, with its version consisting of rosé wine, white peaches, grapefruit and, as listed on the menu, a splash of “sunshine”—with the option of adding a coconut rum float for extra pizzazz. But the real star here is the frozen espresso martini, a slushy blend of espresso liqueur, irish cream and vodka. Basically, it’s your favorite coffee cocktail—just way more chill.

What’s a boozy slushie doing at a brewery? Being goddamn delicious, that’s what. Night Shift Brewing's taproom in Everett has taken some of its craft wine and hard seltzer, and combined their respective drink powers to form one super beverage, the Berry Loud Slushie. Take one sip of this refreshing frozen drink—a mashup of the local brewery’s Wine Night, Hoot Louder Mixed Berry seltzer and some mixed berry fruit juice, to be exact—and you won’t even care you’re downing a pink slushie in a room full of hop heads.

Channeling the spirit of New Orleans, Buttermilk & Bourbon is always down to party, so obviously the cocktail menu at this Comm. Ave. spot includes a few festive frozen libations. The bar here offers its own take on frosé called the Frozen Voodoo, which is a frosty mixture of Effen Rosé Vodka, strawberry, elderflower, rosé and lemon. But, if you ask us, the real move here is to go for the Soft Serve Mimosa. Using its famous, house-made soft serve sorbet of the day, B&B tops off each glass with a generous pour of prosecco to create a drink that’ll surely laissez les bon temps rouler.