Guides

Boozy Slushies, Adult Milkshakes, and More Frozen Cocktails to Try in Philly

Our favorite frosty, spiked drinks will keep you cool all summer long.


frozen cocktails drinks philadelphia

Photo courtesy of Garage Fishtown

There are few things better than cutting the heat with a quenching, cooling cocktail—but sipping a frozen drink spiked with your favorite booze just might be one. From adult milkshakes to frozen margaritas and frosé, we love them all. Here are some of our favorite frozen cocktails to keep you frosty in Philly this summer.

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Orange Crush Gritty Slush at Bud & Marilyn’s, Midtown Village
We love Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran’s Midwestern supper club not just for those crispy-fried cheese curds, but also because the bar keeps something boozy and delicious churning in the granita machine pretty much year-round. And right now, they’re serving this fuzzy orange blend of four different juices, vodka, and thyme in homage to the city’s lovable yet unsettling unofficial mascot.

Frosé at Garage, Fishtown
If you’re looking for something fancier than beer to sip while you Skee-Ball, Garage has you covered. Try their slushy rosé, which gets amped up with both strawberry vodka and cranberry Red Bull.

frozen cocktails drinks philadelphia

Lemonana at DIzengoff | Photo by Alexandra Hawkins

Boozy lemonana at Dizengoff, Center City
This sweet-tangy-minty Israeli street drink is the perfect thing to pair with an order of that amazing hummus. And it’s even better when you ask to get yours spiked with a shot of something strong.

Frozen negroni at Brigantessa, East Passyunk
While a cocktail as classic (and delicious) as the negroni is arguably a year-round beverage, this refreshingly bitter drink truly shines in warm weather. The bar at Brigantessa takes that to the next level with a slush-ified version to cool you off in the summer heat.

frozen cocktails summer philadelphia old city

Photo courtesy of Morgan’s Pier

Vodka rocket pop at Morgan’s Pier, Old City
The summers-only riverside beer garden keeps a slate of several frozen drinks on their menu. Our favorite is this red, white, and blue, vodka-spiked slushy, which gives us a tipsy nostalgia trip.

Frozen blood orange margarita at El Vez, Midtown Village
Stephen Starr’s Mexicali outpost on 13th Street offers a long list of margaritas in variations from pineapple cinnamon to cranberry. But the blood orange margarita is the must-try that we keep coming back to—ideally frozen, ideally sipped at an outdoor table on a warm summer night alongside an order of chips and guac.

popsicle cocktails philadelphia

Photo courtesy of Twisted Tail

Champagne pops at Twisted Tail, Old City
When you want to sip something fancy but you’re also craving a sweet, frozen treat on a stick, look no further than this summertime cooler of champagne poured over rotating flavors of ice pops like watermelon, pineapple, and blueberry and served in a classy coupe.

Adult milkshakes at Craftsman Row Saloon, Washington Square West
We love a restaurant that gives milkshakes the respect and attention they deserve—even better if some of those shake recipes are built around booze. We’re partial to the Salty Dog, a vanilla-chocolate mix spiked with hazelnut liqueur and vodka.

frozen cocktails philadelphia spring arts

Photo courtesy of Prohibition Taproom

Strawberry sorbet cocktail at Prohibition Taproom, Spring Arts
Why order drinks and dessert separately when you can have them together? This hybrid cocktail combines the healing power of bourbon with a scoop of smooth, creamy strawberry sorbet, plus a little bit of bittersweet Punt e Mes vermouth to balance things out.

Poparazzi at a.bar, Rittenhouse
a.bar takes a different approach with a frozen champagne cocktail: their Poparazzi cocktail includes a popsicle made with champagne, then served with a blend of pamplemousse liqueur, their custom-made a.vod vodka, and fresh berries.

frozen mojito philadelphia

PHS Pop-Up Garden South | Photo by Rachel Wisniewski

Frozen mojito at PHS Pop-Up GardenGraduate Hospital
Have you noticed the bright blue or purple cocktails popping up around the city’s better bars? That vibrant shade comes courtesy of butterfly pea flowers — and the PHS Pop-Up Garden is spiking their frozen mojitos with this natural dye to give them a vivid lilac shade.