The 15 best frozen cocktails in NYC

Once you learn that Long Island Bar’s proprietor was one of the smattering of people credited with conceptualizing the cocktail that went on to be Sex and the City’s fifth lead, it follows that the corner spot would have a frozen cosmo. This one’s more opaque than its liquid BFF, with orangey-pink crystals packed tight like a real Miranda, though the subtly retro decor is a little more relaxed.

Clover Club executes each of its drinks in studied, refined fashion with polish and aplomb, and the bar's frozens are no exception. This season saw balanced and breezy options like the Cannonball Cola ($16), a double dose of rum (spiced and overproof) sweetened with cherry cola cordial, pineapple and lime; and the King Snake ($16), which brightens up Reposado tequila and white rum with lime, passionfruit ginger, peach and a dash of cinnamon.

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Perennial ‘best bars’ honoree, Mace was ahead of 2021’s frozen drink avalanche with a photogenic Miami Vice cocktail before most other spots’ ice had set. It’s back at it again for 2024 with a simultaneously frosty and fiery option: the Harissa ($21.50) features bee pollen infused-blanco tequila and mezcal turned summery-bright with green tomato, strawberry and lime, splashed with cider and finished with a zesty hit of harissa salt

This compact cocina that falls somewhere between off-the-beaten-path street food and a hipster Brooklyn locale looks like the spot where all the cool kids hang. And the drinks follow suit, including the Frozen Peach G+T ($17), made with Isolation Gin, tonic water and leftover peach syrup from the restaurant's renowned Arroz con Leche dessert served with the stone fruit. The frozen is the perfect cooling counterpart to all of those chile-laced moles coming out of the kitchen. 

Drinks at the beach are a time-honored tradition pre-dating even this Rockaway staple, which has been operating in various iterations since the 1920s. It changed ownership last year, but Connolly’s still serves fan favorite piña coladas, now in paper cups instead of Styrofoam. If you’re planning on bringing those babies back to the beach, we won’t tell anyone what’s in the nondescript vessels. 

Boerum Hill's Grand Army Bar is a quintessential Brooklyn drinking den, but for summer 2024, it's taking on a bit of a Southern twang. The bar has a tradition of regularly switching up its menu themes, and its newest cocktail series for the warm-weather season is "Grand Ole Army," a spirited nod to Nashville's iconic Grand Ole Opry. And to deal with all that down-home heat, there's a frozen number: the rum and cachaça-based "Rhinestone Cowboy" ($18), sweetened with strawberry and banana, and available with an optional two-buck floater.

Although we drink frozen margaritas year round, they soar in popularity once the weather warms up. And Alma’s is best in class. A pale shade of lime, the icy libation ($16) is a mix of the tart citrus with tequila, triple sec and agave. It’s served in a short glass that minimizes melting before you can reach its end, which doesn’t take too long while you’re gazing at the skyline view, anyway. 

Tapping into the buzzy energy of 1950s Thailand, Sappe aims to transport diners to the bustling streets of Bangkok with custom Thai street signs, carts of sweet treats for guests waiting for a table, and a back room that evokes Thailand's Hua Lamphong station. There's also a range of frozen Thai cocktails for summer, such as the Somsri (Cointreau, gold tequila, lime and guava purée) and a Thai Tea Slushie, blending homemade Thai tea, ice and butterfly pea condensed milk. They'll surely help beat the humidity, for when the Big Apple is feeling a bit too Bangkok. 

For all of us who can't squeeze into Jody Williams and Rita Sodi's megahit Via Carota, there are a few more seats across the street in the couple's all-day spot Bar Pisellino. The Italian jewel box sells pastries and coffee during the day, but if you want a real pick-me-up, order this Italiano riff on a Lemon Drop. Three scoops of lemon sorbet get sloshed on vodka and prosecco until deliciously slushy, then garnished with lemon zest and a lemon wedge.

In keeping with the divey, disco-balled vibes of Ray's, it's only fitting for the downtown watering hole to have a seasonal frozen special. This summer's is the Lake Hour Frozen Rita ($25), which churns smooth, earthy Ilegal Mezcal with peppy mango and lemon and serves it all out of a Lake Hour can.

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This casual low-rise rooftop makes it easy to pick a tipple and stick with it. Though it's known to imbue its frozen margaritas with additional flavors (peach, mango, pomegranate-blueberry), our favorite remains the classic lime. It’s served in a darling soda shoppe-style glass that might even inspire you to share a sip. And it's only seven bucks during daily happy hour from 5pm to 8pm!

Sipping frozen drinks outdoors is a spring and summer highlight, and you can have it all at this Time Out New York Best of the City Award winner for outdoor dining. You can also get Kokomo’s frozen rum punch for $10 during happy hour on weekdays from 4pm to 7pm. 

The latest iteration of this long-running bar eschews a cocktail menu in favor bartenders who promise, “if you know it, we can make it.” It does, however, have a formal frozen on offer. We guess those are harder to whip up on the fly. The Cuj ($12) includes tequila, Aperol, Suze, passionfruit and lime, ideally enjoyed in Maracuja’s secret garden. 

This caffeinated, boozy frozen treat pre-dates recent years' curious espresso ‘martini’ boom by years and years of purported drinks of summer. Two-step into the honky-tonk for this perfect pairing, plus live music and a long happy hour on weekdays from noon to 7pm. 

This waterside spot shines among the jewels of the New York City crown that is City Island. Order your fried lobster tails, frog legs, oysters and clams inside, add a cognac-based Henny Colada, nab a patio picnic table and enjoy the view of the Long Island Sound. Grab cash before you go and prepare for lines.