Frozen cocktails are relatively simple to make, and foolproof with these blending best practices.

Creating
Blending a cocktail with ice can dilute the flavor by up to 40%, so always keep that in mind when planning a new recipe. However, with a little creativity there is a solution to make any cocktail recipe blender-ready:
• Freeze nonalcoholic, liquid ingredients: simply replace flavor-reducing plain ice with frozen mixers or juices to maintain the integrity of the cocktail.
• Frozen fruit: replace some ice with frozen fruit to add flavor and thicken the finished cocktail.
• Use concentrated ingredients: consider natural ingredients like juice concentrates.
• Play it safe: it’s much better to underestimate the amount of ice to add than to overdo it and dilute the cocktail. Add ice gradually until the cocktail is at the desired consistency.

Blending
While blender performance can vary, the most important consideration is safety. Always be sure that your blender is secure before starting.
• Add liquid ingredients first: this makes it easier for the blades to get going.
• Start the blender at a low speed: increase the speed gradually to achieve your desired texture.
• Crushed ice is ideal: the smaller the ice, the lesser the wear and tear on your blender’s blades.

Serving
Your frozen drinks will make you the star of the party! Mind these tips to keep the spotlight shining.
• Blend drinks just before serving: store any remains in the freezer until ready to consume (blending for a few seconds to refresh if necessary).
• Serve in chilled, stemmed glasses: stemmed glasses were created to keep the liquid as cold as possible by limiting exposure to body heat, so they’re the ideal choice for frozen drinks.
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