Red, White and Blue Vodka Lemonade Slushie

By Krista Roman

Nothing beats a cold lemonade on a hot summer day— except, perhaps, a boozy lemonade! Celebrate all things Americana with this festive summertime cocktail that is perfect for your next patriotic gathering.

Colorful layers of crushed ice with refreshing flavors of grenadine, blue curacao and spiked lemonade comprise this delectable libation.

Ingredients:

• 9-12 Cups of Crushed Ice - the more the merrier! A food processor works best

• 1 Cup of Lemonade - freshly squeezed or organic is preferred

• 1 Cup of Vodka - clear as a bright summer day to honor purity and peace

• 1 Cup of Blue Curacao - vibrant addition to represent vigilance and justice

• 1 Cup of Grenadine - a deep red with a cherry flavor…another nod to Old Glory’s symbolism of valor and bravery

Tips and Instructions:

We know the layers of this beauty aren’t in the proper order (my OCD is kicking in) but the way you layer this drink matters. To effectively create layers that will last, the thickness (typically determined by the sugar content) of each ingredient must be considered.

For this recipe, grenadine is thicker than blue curacao (so it’s at the bottom), and lemonade is thinner than both grenadine and blue curacao (so it’s at the top). This order insures the colors won’t bleed into each other.

• You’ll need a food processor for this recipe to crush the ice and properly blend the ingredients into a tasty slushie.

• To help keep drinks cooler for longer, refrigerate the grenadine, blue curacao and lemonade (or even let it sit in the freezer for 30 minutes) before blending with ice.

• For best results, blend and serve the drink immediately. This is not one to postpone with refrigeration or leave sit out in warm weather.

Step-By-Step Recipe Guide:

1. In a food processor, blend grenadine and ice until slushy, then pour a layer (about ⅓ the size of the glass) into the bottom of your chosen drinking vessel.