26 Popular Frozen Cocktails, Ranked

The world of frozen cocktails ranges far and wide. You've got your classics, sure — the frozen margarita, the piña colada, the frozen daiquiri, and so forth — but there's a whole host of adult slushies out there that draw on spirits like gin, brandy, crème de cacao, and other liquors that aren't typically first-in-mind when daydreaming about frozen drinks. 

Frozen cocktails come in every color under the sun, and vary in texture from creamy and milkshake-like to something resembling a snow cone. These days, just about any cocktail can be made frozen, so the sky's the limit here, from little-known vintage tiki cocktails to well-loved classic drinks.

Here we present a cool array of popular frozen cocktails, ranked from our least favorite to ultra-delicious. When considering our ranking methodology, we drew on fondly recalled personal experiences of sipping frozen cocktails, along with research on the latest sub-zero mixology trends. However, all drinks listed here have their place, whether it's after waiting 30 minutes in line for tiny cups of $14 frosé at festivals, or dancing the balmy night away at Pensacola's Flora-Bama with a Bushwacker in hand. (If you know, you know.)

Cachaça, a fermented sugarcane liquor, is one of the most popular spirits in Brazil. It's most famously used in Brazil's national drink, the caipirinha, but it's also featured in a little-known vintage cocktail: the batida. The drink, which can be served either frozen or over ice, is brilliant in its simplicity, consisting of only cachaça, coconut, condensed milk, and lime juice (though fruit is added in some recipes). The batida has a highly sweet, milky flavor with defined coconut notes, which makes it hit or miss depending on personal tastes. If either coconut or dairy are deal-breakers for you, you'll want to pass if you see this frozen cocktail on the menu.

If mimosas and bloody Marys aren't your thing, the dirty banana might just hit the spot. This little-known beachy cocktail uses rum, banana liqueur, Kahlúa, a bit of milk and cream, and a ripe banana for an easy-sipping, smoothie-esque drink. It's basically a smoothie with some unusual perks, so you can feel good about getting your buzz on while ingesting plenty of vitamins, potassium, and fiber from the banana. Banana liqueur can have a distinctly artificial taste, and that combined with the fresh banana can be overwhelming, but if you're bananas for bananas and enjoy a kick of coffee and cream, give this frozen cocktail a shot.

A mudslide on a hillside? Potential tragedy. A mudslide in a glass? Boozy dessert perfection. With Irish cream, coffee liqueur, ice cream, and bourbon or vodka, the mudslide resembles a frozen Irish coffee, but with coffee liqueur in place of espresso and bourbon or vodka standing in for Irish whiskey. The drink's name comes from the mudslide-like visual effect in the non-frozen version of the drink, in which chocolate syrup seeps through layers of cream and liqueur — which is harder to achieve when all of the ingredients are blended with ice. 

These adult milkshakes are common fixtures at restaurants. However, it's a breeze to make a frozen mudslide at home, too.

The frozen Negroni is yet another frosty cocktail that doesn't rely on rum, vodka, or tequila like many of its popular counterparts. With an herbal, licorice-like taste and deep, dark fruit flavors, Negronis aren't for everyone, but a frozen version is a treat for those who enjoy the bitterness of Campari and the botanical qualities of vermouth. In addition to these, you'll find gin and orange juice in a frozen Negroni. Gin lends an intriguing, piney taste to the mix, while orange juice balances everything out. It's somewhat surprising to find the Negroni's sophisticated flavor profile in frozen form, but that's what makes this drink special.

It's pretty easy to whip up a batch and enjoy frosty sips of la dolce vita at home. Our frozen Negroni recipe produces at least six servings of this drink in 15 minutes.

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard of frosé ... now it's friesling's time to shine. Friesling consists of riesling, which is typically a sweeter wine, frozen and blended together with ice and mix-ins like flavored liqueurs, fresh citrus juices, clear spirits, and simple syrup.

Depending on what's added to the riesling, the flavor can vary quite a bit. A flavored liqueur or syrup, like peach or grapefruit, will shift its flavor profile to the fruity side, while lemon or lime juice will make the drink more tart. Friesling is generally a sweet, highly enjoyable frozen cocktail to sip (or in this case, suck through a straw) on a balmy afternoon.

Remember those lemon Italian ices you squeezed out of cardboard tubes as a kid? The sgroppino is the 21+ version. It's a playful, tart, and sweet cocktail that can be made on a budget, and while you won't find it on many restaurant menus in the U.S., it's a breeze to make at home. All you'll need is vodka, chilled prosecco, and lemon sorbet — no ice is required, as the lemon sorbet will provide a lovely, creamy, slushy texture on its own. Sgroppinos are usually served in wine or champagne glasses and may feature mint sprigs or lemon peels as garnishes. They're cute, they're classy, and they should make an appearance at your next home brunch.

It's harder to pronounce the name of this drink than it is to prepare it at home. Our article explaining why sgroppino is Italy's boozy drink featuring lemon sorbet also presents instructions for how to make it.

If you've ever spent a spring break lounging on the white-sand beaches of Pensacola, you've probably had a bushwacker. The bushwacker is an alcoholic milkshake featuring the coffee aspects of a white Russian along with creamy coconut, white crème de cacao, and rum. Unlike several other cocktails on this list, the bushwacker is always served frozen.

This cocktail has a rich, creamy texture similar to a Frappuccino, while Kahlúa (or similar coffee liqueur) adds a caffeine kick. Popular garnishes include shaved chocolate, a maraschino cherry, or a floater of 151 rum. It's a pretty dessert-forward drink, which can make it tough to have more than one ... but that one is sure to knock your socks off.

Wondering what sets a bushwacker apart from its close cousin, the mudslide? We've got your cold-drink curiosity covered with our article detailing the difference between bushwacker and mudslide cocktails.

Boozy slushies have had quite a bit of time in the limelight for the last few years, and one of the most popular frozen cocktails is frosé. The name is a portmanteau of "frozen" and "rosé" — but there's a little more to this cocktail than just wine blended with ice. Frosé recipes contain rosé, of course, but many recipes blend the wine with fruit (strawberries are popular for their pink and red coloring) for added flavor. Sometimes another type of wine is added, or clear liquor for an added kick. While frosé came in dead last in our survey regarding readers' favorite frozen cocktails, we'll take an icy glass of the stuff anytime.

Another variant of frosé can be enjoyed one sweet lick at a time. Our easy frozen rosé lemonade popsicle recipe provides all the intoxicating goodness of frosé without the hassle of washing a glass.

If you're craving the creamy coconut heaven of a piña colada but pineapple isn't your jam, a mango castaway might just hit the spot. The mango castaway uses mango rather than pineapple for a juicy, tropical flavor and favors both coconut rum and aged rum in place of coconut milk and unaged white rum — all blended together with condensed milk. The result is effectively a mango piña colada. It's creamy and a little bit tart, and depending on the type of aged rum used, may also carry a hint of caramel, wood smoke, and baking spices on the palate.

The peach lover's answer to a mimosa is the Bellini. Made with prosecco and peach puree, these beauties are traditionally served mimosa-style (not blended and without ice), but the frozen version of a classic peach Bellini is a fun twist — plus, you'll use frozen peaches, so there's no need for pesky peach prep. Frozen peach Bellinis temper the sweetness of prosecco with delicate peach flavor to magnificent effect. Just toss frozen peaches, prosecco (use another sparkling wine if desired), a dash of sugar (or honey or agave), and some ice cubes into a blender and process until your desired texture is achieved, and you're good to go.

Aperitifs seem to be growing in popularity, and one drink that's slowly climbing its way to the top of cocktail lists is the Aperol spritz. On the surface, it's fairly simple, made with just Aperol, prosecco, and soda water; but the zesty, herbaceous, smooth flavor of Aperol helps it stand out from the crowd. The most basic iteration of a frozen Aperol spritz involves the traditional ingredients blended with ice — Aperol doesn't freeze completely, so ice is needed to accomplish a fun slushy-like texture. To shake things up, consider using frozen fruit in place of some or all of the ice, or using flavored soda water to achieve a unique taste.

Sipping an Aperol spritz, traditional or frozen, is a sign of grown-up sophistication. For a less sophisticated (but more fun) way to enjoy an ice-crystallized version of this cocktail, check out our Aperol spritz snow cone recipe. 

There's nothing like a piping hot mug of coffee with whiskey and Baileys to warm the bones on a cold day. Conversely, a frozen Irish coffee is a perfect cocktail to cool you down on a hot one. Frozen Irish coffees contain Irish whiskey, Baileys, Kahlúa, espresso, and a hearty scoop of vanilla ice cream blended together like a milkshake — make sure to garnish with some crushed coffee beans for a little extra zest. These cocktails are fun brunch fare, but they also make for a yummy dessert, and the decadent drinks are a popular offering at Irish bars, especially in the summertime — in fact, we named the frozen Irish coffees at Erin Rose in NOLA the best frozen cocktail in the state.

There is absolutely no drink out there that rivals the vacay vibes of a frozen piña colada. With pineapple, coconut, rum, and a juicy maraschino cherry to top it all off, these frozen beverages are a tropical vacation in a glass. The sweet, tart taste of pineapple is balanced perfectly by rich, creamy coconut milk. Piña coladas are cruise ship and beach bar favorites, but they're just as easy to whip up at home. (And you won't have to shell out $16!) Most piña colada recipes call for white rum, but experimenting with dark rum and even flavored rum can lead to some fun twists on the classic cocktail. For a virgin version, just leave the rum out altogether.

Ready to create this creamy dream on your own? Get started with our cool and refreshing piña colada recipe.