Summer is one of the busiest times of year for the hospitality industry. The warm weather brings countless customers into fine establishments nationwide to sip something cool and refreshing. However, even the most robust beverage lists can begin to seem stale to new generations of imbibers, raised on the spirited concoctions of the craft cocktail movement. A weighty drinks menu full of clever names, lengthy lists of ingredient, and paragraph-long descriptions can make a basic wine list seem out of touch—even archaic. We know better, of course.
Still, the burden of educating customers often falls on beverage managers and wine specialists to cultivate the palates of their patrons. Clever establishments are using the seasonal heat as an opportunity to stretch their wine programs to accommodate changing tastes and innovate how we enjoy wine.
Enter the wine slush or granita, as they are known in Italy. Think adult slurpee with a touch more class. They’re cold, unique, and fun to drink.
From a restaurant standpoint making wine slushes is also a great way to avoid waste. Unsold sangria or mimosa can easily be frozen and blended into one of these simple recipes. Put the rest of that dessert wine that’s sitting in the cooler open and unused to work. You can even use sparkling wines that are now too flat to serve to guests. Offering this frozen treat will help avoid spoilage and delight customers.
Here are just a summer cocktail ideas we’ve seen trending:
Rosé Slush (Frosé)
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle of rosé
- 4 oz of sweetened lemonade
- Ice cubes
Directions:
- Freeze the bottle of rosé in ice cube trays overnight
- Combine frozen rosé, lemonade, and a handful of ice cubes into a blender
- Blend until the ice cubes are crushed
- Serve chilled with your choice of garnish
Frozen Peach Bellini
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of frozen peach slices
- 1 cup of mango nectar
- 1 bottle of chilled Prosecco
Directions:
- Combine peach slices with the mango nectar in a blender until smooth
- Pour peach mixture into champagne flutes until have full, follow with Prosecco
- Serve garnished with peach slices
Sangria Slush
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces red wine
- 2 ounces brandy
- 2 ounces triple sec orange liqueur
- 3 cups of mixed frozen fruit
- a pinch of ground cinnamon
Directions:
- Place all the ingredients in a blender and puree
- Serve cold, garnished with berries
Sauternes & Lemon Honey Granita
Ingredients:
- 6 tbsp. of honey
- 1 bottle of Sauternes
- Juice from 1 lemon and its zest
Directions:
- Stir honey into 1.5 cups of water in a saucepan and bring to boil
- Reduce heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally until honey dissolves
- Let mixture cool and stir in Sauternes, lemon zest, and juice
- Freeze in a shallow container for 1 hour
- Scrape / stir with a fork to break up ice crystals, return mixture to freezer for 8 to 12 hours
- Serve in a chilled glass with edible flowers