Sure, you could go for a drink on the rocks or a cold can of Boh, but when temps really start to peak, there’s nothing quite like a frosted glass filled with a boozy slushie. If frozen is your thing, here are a few sips at local bars to help cool off this summer:
Blue Pit BBQ & Whiskey Bar: The swirling slushie machines behind the bar at this Hampden fixture churn out a rotating roster of refreshing cocktails this time of year. (Think: a frozen Paloma and an icy Thai iced tea blended with rum.) Sample one of the frozen drinks on the sunny back patio while digging into a pulled pork plate or the famous Pimento Piggle sandwich.
Bowley’s on the Bay: When it comes to its frozen drinks, this dock bar in Middle River is all about the classics. Take in the views (and try to avoid a brain freeze) while enjoying summer piña coladas, strawberry daiquiris, mudslides, or a nostalgic Orange Dreamsicle.
Charm City Meadworks: At Baltimore’s first and only award-winning meadery, mead slushies (two are always on rotation) are a must-have during the hot summer months. Fight the Sunday Scaries with the “Slushie Sunday” special—$2-off a full-pour slushie.
Drift Bar: This Lighthouse Point Marina spot—an aptly named floating dock bar—is an oasis for frozen cocktail lovers. Available in individual sipping sizes—or 20-oz. globes and 40-oz. fishbowls for sharing—the blended beverages include a margarita, banana cream pie daiquiri, the “Shark Bite” (coconut rum, pineapple juice, blue curaçao, lime soda, and a grenadine-filled shark), and the “Hazy Sunset” made with gin, aperol, and grapefruit juice.
Dutch Courage: In addition to its gin, punch, flight, and non-alcoholic options, the pages-long beverage menu at this Old Goucher favorite has a section dedicated to it’s signature frozen “Frosties.” The creative concoctions include the “Strawberry Thief” (violet and sakura gin, lavender, strawberry, and lime) and the “Trinidad Slushie” mixed with rye, amaro di angostura, giffard orgeat, and lemon.
Ellie’s Tavern: Ever since taking over the former home of Cardinal Tavern last year, Ellie’s has made a name for itself in the Canton community for its comforting dishes, rotating drink specials, and specialty cocktails. Among them are house frozé made with rosé wine, strawberry vodka, and rossi ammaro.
Game On Bar + Arcade: Spins on childhood faves are plentiful at this retro hangout in Federal Hill, which offers old-school games like Duck Hunt, Galaga, and NBA Jam. Aside from the Jello shots and 21-and-over Capri Sun pouches, Game On features spiked slushies with fitting names: “Level One” and “Level Two.” The former fuses Deep Eddy’s orange vodka with St. Germain, pineapple, and Red Bull, while the latter combines vodka, rum, orange juice, and blue curaçao.
Papi’s Tacos: All three locations of this taco joint in Fells Point, Hampden, and Towson offer their margaritas on the rocks or frozen. Chow down on chips and salsa while sipping one of the tequila and house sour-infused margs in flavors such as mango, guava, watermelon, and pineapple chile. You can also kick it up a notch with an added Grand Marnier or mezcal floater.
The Royal Blue: This Station North hangout is celebrating summer in style. Not only is the team offering its housemade “Frizzy Frosé,” but they are also swirling the frosé with a frozen piña colada to whip up their aptly named “Frozadas.” Grab one to beat the heat, and be sure to line your stomach with a smashburger while you’re at it.
Sagamore Pendry Pool Bar: A weekday pool pass to Fells Point’s luxe hotel on the waterfront is the ultimate summer staycation. Treat yourself by lounging at the open-air oasis while sipping a frozen Crush with Sagamore Spirit rye, agave, lemon, and blood orange. Or you can opt for the house frosé that mixes Whispering Angel rosé with vodka and strawberry puree. With the purchase of a day pass, your first drink is on the house.
Sally O’s: The colorful cocktails fit in perfectly at this buzzy Highlandtown haunt, which is decorated with vibrant wallpaper and tons of interior greenery. As temperatures continue to peak, go for the “Guava Chi Chi” (a pina colada with vodka instead of rum and guava instead of pineapple) or the strawberry basil margarita with basil-infused tequila, strawberry syrup, dry curaçao, and lime.
Snake Hill: The frozen espresso martinis are currently 86’d on the menu (bummer) but the Highlandtown hangout offers frosé, frozen strawberry mojitos, and a lineup of other refreshing daily delights.
Wet City: The famous slushies at this go-to watering hole in Mt. Vernon have come in dozens of different flavors throughout the years. (Everything from an icy watermelon pisco sour to a blended pineapple mezcalita.) Currently, the bar is offering a tiki menu including an “Ube Pina Colada” for its Yacht Rock Party on 7/11.
Fact-checking by Caset Bacot