No Blender Frozen Modern Margarita is a DIY Ready-to-Drink frozen cocktail – recipe and photo by Mixologist Cheri Loughlin, The Intoxicologist

You can make your own Ready-to-Drink frozen cocktails. It’s easier than you think. Once you start making your own, you may never buy prepackaged cocktails again! The only problem you might run into is running out too fast because they are so good!

Make Your Own Ready-to-Drink Frozen Cocktails

Ready to freeze pouches are frozen until ready to serve for blender style drinks without actually needing a blender. Fabulous idea! Good blenders are expensive. Cheap blenders usually don’t blend ice fine enough for cocktails. There are a few problem areas in freezing cocktails though. Alcohol and sugar don’t like to freeze. Consider recipes meant for blender use first when choosing recipes to use as Ready-to-Drink frozen cocktails. These will be the easiest recipes to convert for freezer pouch use.

A portion of the difference in volume between the base ingredients and a shaken cocktail needs to be added into the recipe to create a Ready-to-Drink frozen cocktail.

An ordinary cocktail is put together in a cocktail shaker with ice. Let’s say there are 4 to 5 ounces of cocktail liquids that go into the shaker to build the cocktail. The cocktail is shaken until it is well chilled. Let’s say 20 seconds. Remember, we do not like a lazy shake! The liquid is strained into the cocktail glass. There is now a larger volume of liquid than the 4 to 5 ounces that went into the shaker due to ice melt. If that finished cocktail liquid were measured it would be more than the original measurement. THAT difference in volume is the key to making your own Ready-to-Drink frozen cocktails. A portion of the difference in volume between the base ingredients and a shaken cocktail needs to be added into the recipe to create a Ready-to-Drink frozen cocktail.

DIY No Blender Frozen Modern Margarita

The drink that inspired me to create a no blender necessary Ready-to-Drink frozen cocktail is served at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants. Roja Grill in the Omaha Old Market serves an amazing fresh Modern Margarita with fresh squeezed lime and grapefruit juice. Bartenders Manny, Brynne and Jaymee do an amazing job behind the bar at Roja. They also make some of the best, freshest Margaritas in the Old Market. Skip the Margarita machine and let the bartenders make a fresh Margarita for you. It’s well worth it!

I’ve never asked the bartenders at Roja for their Modern Margarita recipe. My recipe might not taste exactly like the one there. You will still need to go to Roja and sample the real thing! This recipe is an adapted version for freezer purposes.

No Blender Frozen Modern Margarita is an adapted version of the Roja Grill Modern Margarita – photo and frozen recipe by Cheri Loughlin, The Intoxicologist

No Blender Frozen Modern Margarita – recipe by Cheri Loughlin, The Intoxicologist

Makes 1

2 ounces Blanco Tequila

1-1/4 ounce Fresh Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice

1 ounce Fresh Lime Juice

1/2 ounce Premium Orange Liqueur

1/4 ounce Agave Syrup

1 ounce Bottled Water

Combine liquids in freezer safe container. Stir. Seal container. Freeze until ready to use. Mixture will freeze mostly solid within 4 to 5 hours depending upon how cold your freezer gets. Remove from freezer when ready to drink. Allow to slightly thaw for a few minutes. Shake to mix up contents. Pour into salt or sugar rimmed glass if desired. Garnish with lime wedge.

Ready-to-Drink Frozen Cocktails Tips & Tricks

Just a quick minute to thaw & shake is all you need for a wonderful icy, blended style frozen Margarita. No blender necessary. EASY! – photo and recipe by Cheri Loughlin, The Intoxicologist

Makes only one?!? I know. There is a reason frozen cocktails are sold in single pouches rather than party pouches. I did multiply the recipe and froze it in a container that held five servings. There is a bit of settling that goes on as the cocktail freezes. It’s possible to freeze multiple cocktails within one container.  However, the entire container has to thaw for a few minutes so it can be shaken to remix the contents due to settling. It’s much easier to freeze individual drinks.

I’ve used zip style freezer bags for my frozen cocktails. They work in a pinch but they sometimes leak and they are difficult to stack until the liquid is completely frozen. Then I found the Ball 8 ounce Plastic Freezer Jars at a local grocery store. They are wonderful! They are the perfect size for an individual cocktail. There is a “fill to” line marked on the container allowing proper space for the drink to expand as it freezes. The containers are stackable which saves freezer space. They seal perfectly, so no worries about plastic bag punctures. When it’s time to thaw the cocktail, it’s super easy to shake and pour.

Add Your Comment: What DIY Ready-to-Drink Frozen Cocktail recipes would you like to learn how to make?

All content ©2013 Cheri Loughlin, The Intoxicologist. All Rights Reserved. Chat with Cheri @Intoxicologist on Twitter and facebook.com/Intoxicologist or str8upcocktails@gmail.com

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