Negroni Slushies Recipe

There's a famous place in Chicago that serves crispy fried chicken, crunchy hush puppies, and frozen negroni slushies nightly on a large, bustling patio in Logan Square. If you've been to Parson's, you probably have fond memories of playing boozed-up patio ping pong or rubbing shoulders with a drumstick-chowing stranger. That, and the uniquely sensational taste of your first negroni slushy that made you wonder why you've never heard of such a simple delight before. A negroni, blended with ice? Genius.

Now, if you're like our recipe developer Michelle McGlinn, you might too have moved away or returned to a state far away from the only negroni slushies you know (really, why aren't they more common?). But fear not: They are incredibly easy to make at home. It may not be exactly the same without the fancy patio and secret recipe, but you can trust that it's a good summer drink and an easy go-to for at-home happy hours. Oh, and if you're worried about how it tastes without a full fried chicken beside it, we recommend giving that a try at home, too.

The ingredient list for this drink isn't much longer than that of a standard negroni recipe. You'll need the classic 1:1:1 of gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari, as well as some grapefruit juice and orange juice. You'll also need ice to thicken it into a slushy, so make sure your ice box is full. Optionally, grab a bottle of orange bitters for an extra hit of citrus flavor. For garnish, you can use fresh citrus like grapefruit, blood orange, or lime, or you can go modern and use dehydrated fruit. Want a summery vibe? Pop in a mini umbrella, too.

Pour the grapefruit and orange juices into your blender, then add the Campari, gin, and vermouth. You can customize your slushy a bit here, depending on how bitter or sweet you want the drink to be. If you love negronis, you'll like this slushy as-is. If the classic Italian cocktail isn't your favorite, add a little more orange juice to make it sweeter, omitting the grapefruit juice entirely if it tastes too bitter. Try not to add too much extra liquid, though, or your slushy will turn out too thin.

Normally, fruit, ice cream, yogurt, or vegetables add body to blended drinks, leading to thick smoothies or milkshakes. Without any solids, liquid and ice make slushies. If you haven't made a slushy before, you're looking for a consistency that is a little bit thinner than a milkshake, with a "crunchy" texture like a snow cone. We recommend starting with 2 cups of ice and adding more as needed. Secure the lid and blend on high power for about 30 seconds, then let the slushy sit for several seconds. You'll notice it thicken slightly as it sits before it starts to melt. If you're happy with the consistency, pour and serve your negroni slushy immediately. If it looks liquidy, add more ice and blend again.

Unfortunately, there's no prepping ahead of time here — these slushies have to be served right after they're made. Otherwise, the blended ice will melt into the drink, eventually leading to separation and a watery beverage. Serve the frozen cocktails with a straw so you can stir the melting ice while you sip, avoiding the natural separation.

While you can't blend these slushies ahead of a party, you can prep the liquids so they are easy to make when guests arrive. In a 64-ounce blender, you can make 4 servings at a time. Prep a double batch, adding the ice right before blending, then apologize to your guests for the noise. They'll forgive you once they have a good drink in hand.

As we mentioned above, this twist on a negroni really does pair well with fried chicken and hush puppies. The sweet slushies also go well with summer barbecue and salty tapas. For some different options, serve them with things like patatas bravas, gorgonzola-stuffed olives, and grilled shrimp skewers.