3 Frozen Drinks That Make It Summertime Anytime

We could all use a tropical vacation right about now. It might not be in the cards this year, but there's no reason you can't break out the blender and sip your way into an at-home holiday. While frozen cocktails are generally a warm-weather phenomenon, there are no rules right now, so why wait until summer? Here are three slushy drinks that might just be the escapist cocktails you need.

READ MORE: 18 Campari Cocktails for All Seasons

Frozé with a Float

As long as it's pink, slushy, and, yes, made with rosé, frozé can take many forms. Our favorite version uses strawberry for a fresh, natural sweetness; lemon for a bright pop of acidity; and, for a little sophistication, a float of an Italian bitter liqueur like Aperol or Campari. Add an umbrella and sip your way to a happier place.

Instructions (makes two drinks): In a blender, combine eight ounces rosé, an ounce and a half of fresh lemon juice, two ounces simple syrup, and half a cup of strawberries (frozen will do just fine; it's winter, after all). Add 2 cups of ice. Blend until smooth and slushy. Pour into two glasses, and top with half an ounce of a lightly bitter liqueur -- Aperol works, Aperitivo Select is even better, and if you're after something more potent, bright red Campari is just the ticket. Garnish with an umbrella, just because.

Dark Rum Fro-jito

Traditional mojitos start with muddling fresh mint. But for a frozen mojito? Just toss that mint straight into a blender. Here, it joins lime juice and, rather than the traditional light rum, a longer-aged dark rum. The result has the cool, refreshing vibe of any proper beach drink, but with the added depth of an aged spirit. Hard to put down once you've taken a sip.

Instructions (makes two drinks): In a blender, combine three ounces dark rum, two ounces fresh lime juice, two ounces raw sugar syrup (that's Sugar in the Raw or similar, cut 1:1 with hot water and stirred until dissolved), and 30 mint leaves. Add 2 cups of ice. Blend until smooth and slushy. Pour into two glasses. Garnish with a few fresh mint sprigs (tapping them firmly against your hand before adding to the glass, to unleash their aromatics).

Not-A Colada

Sweet, creamy, and distinctly tropical, piña coladas are undeniably delicious, but on the heavier side. For a lighter, more dynamic version, we're swapping out rum for vodka and using refreshing coconut water, together with pineapple and lime. Easy-drinking and just as enticing.

Instructions (makes two drinks): In a blender, combine three ounces vodka, an ounce and a half fresh lime juice, two ounces of agave syrup (that's agave nectar, cut 1:1 with hot water and stirred until dissolved), an ounce and a half of coconut water, and half a cup of pineapple chunks. Add 2 cups of ice. Blend until smooth and slushy. Pour into two glasses. Garnish with a little pineapple frond action, and/or a thin pineapple slice.