Forget Frose: A Spicy Cucumber Slushie Is the Best Drink for the Pool
How to make a thirst-quenching frozen drink recipe that combines fresh cucumber with Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur and pineapple.
(Bloomberg) -- Whether it’s on the deck or floating in an inflatable octopus, summer pool time is made exponentially better with a drink in hand. Sure, you could crack open a can of boring old beer, be a rosé-all-day cliché, or venture into the bubbly waters of hard seltzer and CBD-infused alternatives, but no, what you really want is a vibrant poolside potable—something to keep you lively as you waste away the afternoon. It’s time to break out the blender.
“Frozen drinks are fun, accessible to make, and easy to drink, but at the same time feel indulgent,” says Shannon Mustipher, spirits educator and author of Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails. And on a hot, hot day they’re what summer is all about.
With only four ingredients, the Spicy Swimsuit is a fruity and refreshing concoction with enough complexity to keep you entertained while not overwhelming your culinary abilities. The Ancho Reyes delivers a kick without overpowering, while fresh cucumber acts as a cool counterpoint to the spicy Mexican chile liqueur’s slightly smoky, piquant notes. Pineapple juice supplies sweetness and a lush texture.
On that note, don’t be afraid of the simple syrup here, even with the other sweet ingredients—the extra dilution and chill from the melting, crushed ice lessens our perception of sweetness, so dial it up. Blended drinks with too little sugar taste dull and lifeless, which is the last thing you want to be in a pool.
And although fresh pineapple juice is always a better choice than store-bought, your drinks will taste just fine no matter what. A better investment is in reusable bubble tea straws; their wider diameter will accommodate the ice chunks that would otherwise keep the day from going down easy.
Spicy Swimsuit
Serves 3–4
10 oz. Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
8 oz. pineapple juice, fresh or store-bought
4.5 oz. simple syrup
Half cucumber, de-seeded
Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend on medium for 5 seconds, until the cucumber is liquefied. Add 6 cups of ice, and blend on medium for 30 seconds. Pour into unbreakable tumblers. Garnish with a wheel of cucumber, and serve with a bubble tea straw.
For simple syrup
Combine equal parts sugar and water in a small pot over low heat, stirring occasionally until all the sugar is dissolved. Let cool before using. Keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
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To contact the editor responsible for this story: Justin Ocean at jocean1@bloomberg.net
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