Are things heating up in the capital? Then take the edge off with a bevvy that’ll hit the spot about five times faster than a G&T and ten times quicker an ice-cold beer. These frozen cocktails served in London bars are frosty works of art so delicious, you’ll want to knock these back in one (brain freeze, be damned!). London now does frozen cocktails to suit all tastes. There's iced up takes on rosé and sparkling wine, flash grown up drinks that'll make you feel like an LA party girl in an '80s movie. Or if you fancy a bit of regression, go for the chilly drink from your childhood, but naughtier. We’re talking proper full on slushies (you know, icy, sugary bevvies churned in a dedicated machine) with an added kick of alcohol to heat up your night out while you cool down. These London bars and restaurants have transformed summer cocktail hour for the better (blue tongue optional).
This silky take on the iconic (we don’t say that lightly) tropical cocktail gets its chill factor from a blitz in the blender with coconut sorbet. It’s being served in French-influenced bar Coupette, and so the pièce de résistance is its Champagne top, which elevates this frosty offering to something far more classy than the drink you heard about in that naff old song. Oh là là, indeed.
Live your best life at Pastaio, where they take Italy’s most popular export to the next level. Prosecco is churned up with lemon and grappa to achieve a silky smooth slushie drink that pairs surprisingly well with plates of pasta. It’s such a delicious blend, we actually guarantee brain freeze as you try and gulp it down in one.
Your prayers have been answered: frosé does indeed mean frozen rosé. While the coolest cities in The US are big into the chilly pink drink, London hasn’t quite embraced the slush version of everyone’s fave summer wine... yet! This Napoleon-themed (yep) rooftop hangout is leading the charge, blending the pink tipple with rosé vermouth and strawberry purée. Brr-illiant stuff.
Find yourself pining for the days when sophisticated drinking meant turning your own tongue blue? Then step back in time at Little Nan’s Bar, where they've gone all Slush Puppy with this trippy looking concoction, a blend of coconut rum, raspberry and lime as tropical as it is neon. It’s topped with sweets and sparklers for further regression.
During happy hour, you can pick up one of these puppies for just £6. Its blend of Jagermeister with banana milk, coconut cream, egg white, citrus and stout probably sounds a bit funky, but it’s a fun and fruity froth-topped creation. Plus, the subterranean setting should also help take the edge off on a swelteringly hot day in sticky central London.
London’s so awash with frozen margs, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were living it up in Cancun. But the ones at El Pastor still make us the most loco, a silky texture with a kick in the cojones from blanco tequila, lime and orange blossom honey. Just what you need for cooling down after a round of fiery tacos.
At the best new bar in London, they always have a seasonal frozen cocktail churning away in the slushie machine. We‘ve already gotten extremely lucky with a Sex on the Beach on a recent visit. And despite its brown, sludgy appearance, an Elementary Frozen Coffee spiked with rum, coconut and condensed milk is the ultimate pick-me-up – a seriously low-temp caffeine high.
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