Yum! Perfect summer cocktails

Is there anything more refreshing in the heat of July than a slushy fruity beverage? Last week, our good friends Andrew Chase (Homemakers) and Alison Kent (Canadian Living) showed us a few tricks from their forthcoming book 400 Blender Cocktails: Sensational alcoholic and non-alcoholic recipes (Robert Rose, 2006) for making perfect frosty cocktails.

• Most new blenders are powerful enough to chop ice. So, just throw all the ingredients in and whirl. Start on low speed until the cubes begin to break down then slowly increase to maximum. Older models may require using an ice crusher first. If you don't have one, crush the ice cubes in a dishtowel or plastic bag with a hammer or rolling pin.

• Ice dilutes drinks by up to 40 per cent, so slushy drinks require strongly flavoured ingredients to create a good final taste. We often use undiluted frozen concentrates (such as orange, mango punch and lemonade) and frozen fruit (with a little less ice) to get a full, fruity flavour.

• The key to a great blender drink is using the right amount of ice and liquid. Underestimate both -- you can always add more to make the drink more fluid or less sharp. Make sure to use fresh, recently made ice cubes -- old ones may be dry and freezer burnt.

• The longer you blend a drink the thicker it gets, so give it a good long whirl. A perfect consistency is reached when a straw can stand up in the middle of the drink.

• Use good but not expensive liquors. Vodka has a neutral flavour that allows the fruit to shine; rum has more sweetness (so be prudent when adding sugar.) If you want to experiment, invest in a few little (50 mL) sample bottles usually found at most liquor store cash registers.

Using Andrew and Alison's tips, we concocted this slushy summer sipper from a recipe in our August issue.

The Warrior Princess (or Slushy Watermelon Lemonade)
1 cup (250 mL) cubed, frozen watermelon
1 cup (250 mL) ice cubes
1 oz (25 mL) frozen lemonade concentrate
1 oz (25 mL) each vodka and limoncello Mint

In blender, on low speed, blend watermelon, ice, lemonade concentrate, vodka and limoncello until ice breaks down. Increase speed to high; blend until smooth and slushy. Pour into stemless martini or old-fashioned glasses. Garnish with sprigs of fresh mint. Makes 2 servings.

Tip: Limoncello is the generic name for a sweet Italian lemon liqueur that is served well chilled during summer. It is wonderful as a palate cleanser, after-dinner drink or in blender cocktails and is available in sample size (50 mL) bottles. Keep in the freezer until ready to serve.

More slushy blender drinks:
Mango Mama
Rum Runner

Non-alcoholic:
Strawberry Lemon Crush

Visit our online forums to get to know other Canadian Living readers.