When mid-summer humidity hits and work days need to feel a bit more Bermuda, the perfect solution comes from the freezer and the liquor cabinet. Whether it’s something tropical like a piña colada or something down-home like a bourbon milkshake, it doesn’t matter to me: A boozy frozen treat is the only way to beat the heat, and the workweek. Several spots around town serve their cocktails swirled and chilled, in the form of ice cream drinks, tiki bar favorites and inventive slushies. These eight restaurants will have you asking for your drink straight out of the blender with a bendy straw.
Hojoko: Frozen drinks
This cool Izakaya bar in Fenway’s Verb Hotel serves four killer blended drinks all year long, including a daiquiri with bird’s eye chilis and a grasshopper with white miso (It’s called “Ooh, Mommy!” for a reason). But their plain-old piña colada with candy stars does the trick for the less adventurous. Grab a chilled glass and knock back your grown-up slushie over the Pac Man machine near the bar.
1271 Boylston St., Boston, 617-670-0507, /hojokoboston.com
Committee: Frosé
Everyone’s talking about frosé, but it’s actually pretty hard to find in Boston. So thank Committee beverage director Peter Szigeti for buying a slushie machine and bringing us 2016’s coolest (get it) new cocktail. Szigeti blends Gaia Rosé with elderflower and honey-infused rosewater for a drink that would make Carrie Bradshaw cry cosmopolitan-flavored tears. Drink your pink masterpiece on Committee’s expansive Fort Point patio with a plate of dolmades or carrot tzatziki. It’s a slushy-du-jour, so snag it if you can!
50 Northern Ave., Boston, 617-737-5051, committeeboston.com
Rosebud American Kitchen: Bourbon Milkshakes
Somerville’s revamped diner churns out spiked chocolate and vanilla milkshakes with Henry McKenna bourbon and ice cream from Christina’s in Cambridge. Order their special this month, peaches and cream, and grab a booth in the window. Rosebud is perfect for dates — just ask for an extra straw, and maybe a plate of smoked chicken wings.
381 Summer St., Somerville, 617-629-9500, rosebudkitchen.com
Veggie Galaxy: Sherry Baby Nog
For the vegans out there still looking for a pick-me-up, Central Square’s Veggie Galaxy makes this sherry shake with dairy-free vanilla ice “cream” from JP’s FoMu. With a dash of nutmeg and some Mark’s chai spice, this chilly cocktail will bring back winter memories without the Seasonal Affective Disorder.
450 Mass Ave., Cambridge, 617-497-1513, veggiegalaxy.com
Night Market: Sake Slushies
Harvard Square’s underground Asian street food club serves their sake cold, cocktailed or slushed. For only $7, Night Market blends the Japanese rice wine with pineapple and coconut to make a tropical slush perfect for the summer. Their Yamoto Mule is a spicier take, with ginger beer and lime juice. You can also try their slush du jour, with flavors like Sea Breeze. Can’t choose? Try a slushie flight, with a taste of all three!
75 Winthrop St., Cambridge, 857-285-6948, nightmkt.com
THE EXCEPTION: Cafe ArtScience’s Singapore Sling
Okay, so this drink isn’t blended, but trust me, you won’t care once you taste it. Cambridge’s hotshot bartender Todd Maul crafts a killer tiki drink, but his Beefeater singapore sling — complete with a cherry ice cube and pineapple — tastes like Bora Bora in a glass.
650 E Kendall St., Cambridge, 857-999-2193, cafeartscience.com
WORTH THE DRIVE: Spirits & Cream at Hudson’s Less Than Greater Than
We’ve already raved about Middlesex County’s newest food haven, and the town’s speakeasy may be the coolest joint in the state. Less Than Greater Than’s spiked soft serve goes far and beyond the typical craft cocktail with house-made ice cream chilled with liquid nitrogen. Flip the light switch at the back of New City Microcreamery, and get yourself a swirl of the strongest old fashioned in Massachusetts.
28 Main St., Hudson, lessthangreaterthan.com
