Turn Your Whiskey Into A Summer Slushie With Just 3 Ingredients

When the dog days of summer roll around, discerning gourmands are all about the humble, timeless institution of the frozen cocktail. Luckily, all it takes to whip up the go-to sipper of the summer (you heard it here first) is three ingredients: whiskey, ice, and fruit juice. Sweet, friendly fruit juice acts like a trusted secret agent, making this stripped-down sipper accessible yet deceptively strong. This playful, punchy bevy is also wicked easy to batch and throw into a drink dispenser for satiating a crowd at potlucks, backyard barbecues, pool parties, and tailgates.

To whip up a batch of these three-parter summer slushies, simply toss your choice of whiskey, juice, and a generous amount of ice cubes into a blender and puree until smooth and icy. Any budget-friendly whiskey will get the job done here. Equal parts liquor and fruit juice is a good jumping-off point, given that the blended ice will melt quickly and account for extra dilution. But, feel free to play around with the proportion to suit your taste preference.

As you brainstorm different flavor pairings, keep the sugar content of your chosen juice in mind and tailor your cocktail accordingly. No one wants an overly sweet, syrupy whiskey lemonade, but conversely, a dry spirit-forward whiskey and unsweetened grape juice would be equally as undrinkable. As with any creation in the mixology world, it's all about achieving balance (and it might be helpful to keep a bag of sugar or a bottle of simple syrup on hand).

For a playful presentation, serve your summer slushie in a Mason jar. It'd also be great in a rocks glass, stemless wine glass, or plastic solo cup. The simplicity of these slushies also provides a great opportunity for getting creative with bolder garnishes. Fresh herbs, cucumber slices, cherry skewers, pineapple chunks, halved strawberries, whole blueberries, and edible flowers would all elevate this simple drink to the next level, both aesthetically and texturally.

Whiskey, fresh lemon juice, sugar, and ice are a failsafe for a bright, refreshing frozen lemonade cooler. Serve this one in a Collins glass with fresh basil to garnish. You could even toss in a few drops of Angostura bitters or amaretto liqueur for a Whiskey Sour-inspired slushie. You could keep it simple with fruit medley juice, or funky apple cider and a cinnamon stick. For an elevated yet easy frozen, blend your whiskey with pineapple juice and hot honey, plus a Tajin rim. Or, mix it with equal parts cherry juice and lemonade. Sweet tea and orange juice would be killer, garnished with an orange wheel to serve. Or, let the fruit juice do the heavy lifting and blend your whiskey with watermelon lemonade, topped with fresh mint leaves. To keep it even colder, you could make your boozy slushie with a cylinder of frozen orange juice and lemon-lime soda. Or, to lean a little sweeter, use frozen lemonade concentrate and grapefruit soda.