From the Starbucks Frappucino to the entire Red Lobster drink menu, America seems to be in love with sweet, icy drinks, both alcoholic and otherwise. And while national chains may have given frozen drinks a bad name, they sure are refreshing when the District feels like living inside a sweaty armpit. Luckily, DCist is here to class up your frozen beverage game this summer. Here’s where to order slushy craft cocktails, frozen margaritas made with fresh fruit, and creamy coffee frappes.
Photo courtesy of Farmers Fishers Bakers Facebook page.
BAR PILAR: Hemingway was known to enjoy a frozen libation or twelve in his day, so it’s no surprise that a bar dedicated to his legacy would also serve frozen cocktails. Bar Pilar keeps two seasonal flavors in rotation at all times. I recently sipped on a refreshing white sangria slush, cryptically described as containing “various booze, various fruits”. However, my favorite is their spicy Moscow Mule slushie, a confusion of hot and cold sensations, kind of like icy hot for your tastebuds. —Alicia Mazzara
Bar Pilar is located at 1833 14th Street NW.
CUBA LIBRE: Cuba Libre is known for lively music, lush Spanish hacienda décor, and, of course, mojitos. This summer they are offering the frozen version of their classic mojito for ten dollars. It’s made with Cuba Libre white rum and hierba Buena (Cuban mint) for an authentic and refreshing summer cocktail. For a fruitier tropical slush drink, check out their frozen red sangria made with fresh strawberries and raspberries. —Nathan Wilkinson
Cuba Libre is located at 801 9th Street NW.
EAT THE RICH: Eat the Rich is once again rolling out their summer slushie menu, because nothing beats the heat like a dozen raw oysters and a frosty adult beverage in a hurricane glass. Eat the Rich also gets points for having some of the more inventive frozen cocktails—though that’s no surprise coming from bartender Derek Brown. Case in point: The Ghost in the Fruit Machine, an unconventional Negroni slushy, made with Green Hat Gin, a Cheerwine shrub, Campari, vermouth, and coffee(?!) Stop in all summer to sample the rotating frozen creations. —Alicia Mazzara
Eat the Rich is located at 1839 7th St NW.
Photo courtesy of Eat the Rich’s Facebook page.
EL CENTRO: I’ve seen grown men stomp out of a bar with tears in their eyes when they learn there’s no blender to make frozen margaritas. Fortunately you will never see this sad display of disappointment at El Centro D.F. The taqueria and tequileria lives up to its name with over 200 varieties of tequila and mescal from which to craft cocktails. Their slushy margaritas are made with Sauza Blue Agave silver tequila, agave sweetener, and fresh lime juice ($9 per glass). Get the traditional cocktail or mix it up with strawberry or mango margaritas. —Nathan Wilkinson
El Centro is located at 1819 14th Street NW and 1218 Wisconsin Ave NW in Georgetown.
EL CHUCHO: Sure, you could go to your neighborhood Austin Grill or Chili’s and slurp down one of their many novelty frozen margs, but it just won’t hold a candle to El Chucho’s on-tap frozen margaritas. You can get a tangy lime marg, a sweet-spicy strawberry habanero marg, or, if you’re feeling completely fucking wild, a combination OF BOTH. Crazy, I know. —Matt Cohen
El Chucho is located at 3313 11th St NW.
ESTADIO: The frozen “slushitos” at this Spanish joint are thoughtfully crafted to reflect the season, and they pack a boozy and flavorful punch. There are usually a couple of seasonal options to choose from. One of the current summer flavors features a mix of Campari, sweet vermouth, rye, and honey, while another is a refreshing blend of cucumber, white pepper, Manzanilla sherry, gin, and basil. In the cooler months, the bar shifts to heartier flavors and liquors like scotch, pumpkin, and spices. —Travis Mitchell
Estadio is located at 1520 14th Street NW.
FARMERS FISHERS BAKERS: Sipping an icy blended beverage on Farmers Fishers Bakers’ patio—with crowds milling about on the waterfront and boats idling on the Potomac—and you could almost be convinced you’d left the District for a busy beach town (for better or worse). While the Cucumber Delight (vodka, domaine de canton, cucumber, cantaloupe, mint) sounds like the perfect summer drink, it is actually just an innocuous slushie. Instead, try the Missionary’s Downfall, a punchy combination of rum, cognac, honey, peach cordial, mint, pineapple, and lime that will leave you wondering why you aren’t sipping it from a lounge chair. —Rachel Sadon
Farmers Fishers Bakers is located at 3000 K Street NW.
Photo courtesy of Bar Pilar’s Facebook page.
9:30 CLUB BACK BAR: Many people have seen a show at the 9:30 Club but fewer have ventured below to the Back Bar. The small lounge is a nice place to hang out before a show or take a breather when the club is sold-out, and it is also the only place to try the hypnotic Blue Thing. The frozen beverage looks like a Slurpee and goes down just as easily. I don’t really know what is in the drink, some combination of liquors, but it does pack one hell of a punch, and depending on tolerance, two can do you for a night. —Rohan Mahadevan
The 9:30 Club is located at 815 V Street NW.
ROOFERS UNION: Take to the roof part of Roofers Union for some slushified cocktails al fresco. The rooftop bar has two slushy machines hard at work in the summer, churning out icy versions of classic drinks like the Pimm’s Cup or a Negroni. The flavors rotate, so be sure to check the chalkboard for the day’s selections. The open air setting does mean that your frozen treat will melt if you don’t sip quickly, but it’s a small price to pay for the tragi-comic Adams Morgan people watching below. —Alicia Mazzara
Roofers Union is located at 2446 18th Street NW.
SUBURBIA: If you’re serious about frozen booze, head to Union Market to drink at Suburbia, an outdoor bar that specializes in all things icy. Frosty drinks are served out of an adorably retro silver airstream trailer parked in front of the market; picnic tables and barbecue complete the summery atmosphere. Try the specialty of the house, er, trailer, a creamy pina colada made with real coconut and pineapple, or get it swirled with one of the other rotating, often fruity, flavors. —Alicia Mazzara
Suburbia is located in front of Union Market at 1309 5th St NE.
TRYST: Sometimes you want some caffeine with your frosty sugar delivery system. Consider Tryst, the real-life version of the coffee shop from Friends. On weekends, the couches are seemingly occupied only by persons under 23 and over 43. However, this Adams Morgan mainstay and sister to The Diner, Open City, and The Coupe is a great place for frozen non-alcoholic coffee drinks. Tryst is well equipped with ice, blenders, and Counter Culture coffee. Try a frozen cappuccino, mocha, chai, chaipuccino, or a Washington Carver (chocolate and peanut butter). You can cool down on a couch, or better yet, take one to go. —Josh Kramer
Tryst is located at 2459 18th St NW.
