By Rebekah Peppler
- Total Time
- 10 minutes, plus at least 4 hours’ freezing
- Rating
- 4(544)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Think of this frozen drink as a Tom Collins meets Italian lemon ice: It’s refreshingly sweet-tart, boozy and fully capable of giving you brain freeze in a painfully nostalgic way. Since colder temperatures can shift the way we perceive sweetness, frozen drinks read less sweet on the palate and thus require a bit more added sugar to balance flavors. This recipe employs a final flourish of syrupy maraschino cherries, stirred in to taste. If you’re skipping the cherries or don’t have time to run out to stock up, you can simply add a bit more simple syrup to taste while blending. You’ll lose the brilliant color contrast — and the outright fun of snacking on ice-cold, candylike cherries — but, like most good drinks, this one’s adaptable.
Featured in: The Best Drinks in Life Are Frozen
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Ingredients
Yield:6 to 8 servings
- 8ounces gin
- 6ounces fresh lemon juice (from 3 to 4 large lemons)
- 4ounces simple syrup (1:1 granulated sugar and water)
- 5 to 6cups cracked or crushed ice cubes
- Maraschino cherries and syrup, preferably Luxardo, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
144 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 17 grams sugars; 0 grams protein; 17 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
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In an airtight container, combine the gin, lemon juice and simple syrup. Seal and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.
Step
2
Transfer the chilled mixture to the blender, add the ice and blend until smooth and slushy.
Step
3
Divide the mixture among 6 lowball glasses; garnish each with a few cherries and a drizzle of cherry syrup. Serve immediately, and store any extras in the freezer in a covered container until ready to enjoy.
Ratings
4
out of 5
544
user ratings
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Cooking Notes
Mark Richter
If you don’t want to wait 4 hours, put ingredients except ice in the blender, and place it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Then proceed with the ice and blending.
Rachel Larsen
Skipped the cherries, added a lime and some mint. Less Tom Collins, more Bootleg, still awesome!
Kathryn
This is an excellent hot weather co*cktail - served today on a 90 degree day sitting in the shade with a batch of “5 minute hummus” and homemade pita chips. So pretty and COOL but easy to make - yum yum. Guests were happy and impressed.
Strangeskies
Indeed! I can't tell you how many of my governesses were let go when they slipped one of those horrors on my rice pudding. Even as a young lad I knew enough to hide in the conservatory when I saw that jar come out.
Denjg
If you don’t want to wait 4 hours, put ingredients except ice in the blender, and place it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Then proceed with the ice and blending.
JenMitch
This is an amazing adult slurpee. Easy to make. Delicious. Top with some Luxardo cherries and compliment yourself on the ability to make great decisions.
Mimi
Delicious summer drink we’ll be having all season. Yummy frozen for four hours and poured over crushed ice (no blender) and with “Banda Bing Cherries” (all natural.) Wow.
Lisa
So easy, incredibly refreshing. Highly recommend. Adding a little mint would be delicious, we made it as written for friends who came over for a socially distant co*cktail hour. Enjoyed by all!
Abby Morgan
I used honey in place of some of the sugar for a Bee’s Knees twist. Loved this recipe!
Ann
Didn’t have any cherries but I had some homemade strawberry syrup and I drizzled a little of that! Very good!
Juliana
Loved it! I made one change, I used orange slices in syrup instead of the cherries in syrup (since we had it already) and it was a hit! I bet the cherries would have been delicious, can't wait to try that next!
Shannon
My bourbon loving husband thinks Tom Collins are too sour, but this frozen version is easily my favorite summer co*cktail. So far, I like it with Hendricks or Beefeater gin (not Tanqueray). co*cktail cherry is essential. Easy to make a batch and store in freezer.
Amy Bonanno
I might try it by making simple mint syrup
Howie
Let me tell you about Maraschino cherries. First, they are white. Often a Royal Ann. These white cherries have little market value, which is no surprise since they are used solely for pollination of other types of cherries. These white cherries are then dyed and sugar syrup used to "make" them sweet. The dye has traditionally been the problem; some of the dyes used in the past are carcinogenic. So, I would suggest you never use or eat Maraschino cherries, and use something else.
Elizabeth
I made these with neon maraschinos and they were still a real treat ;)
Michelle
So good! Easy to prep ahead, then blend when guests arrive. Served in vintage coupe glasses - delightful!
Andrea
I didn't have time to chill so dumped everything in the blender, halved the simple syrup. Delicious. Like the idea of mint.
Abby Morgan
I used honey in place of some of the sugar for a Bee’s Knees twist. Loved this recipe!
Ann
Didn’t have any cherries but I had some homemade strawberry syrup and I drizzled a little of that! Very good!
LDF
Oh my! Those stemmed, red monstrosities in the otherwise lovely photo are just barely cherries. They are certainly not Luxardo cherries as recommended in the recipe. I suppose there are those who prefer the waxy, sickly sweet, artificially colored and flavored “cherries” from their childhood ice cream sundae, but using them instead of actual maraschino cherries will make this an entirely different drink.
Strangeskies
Indeed! I can't tell you how many of my governesses were let go when they slipped one of those horrors on my rice pudding. Even as a young lad I knew enough to hide in the conservatory when I saw that jar come out.
BCG
The horror...the horror!
Lisa
So easy, incredibly refreshing. Highly recommend. Adding a little mint would be delicious, we made it as written for friends who came over for a socially distant co*cktail hour. Enjoyed by all!
Aaron Friedman
Why not just place it in the freezer instead of the fridge? That's what I do when I make frozen margaritas or negronis.
George, Oakland Park, FL
Half lime juice in place of lemon. Mmmm
JenMitch
This is an amazing adult slurpee. Easy to make. Delicious. Top with some Luxardo cherries and compliment yourself on the ability to make great decisions.
Ray
I really thought this was going to be an excuse to use my bottle of Luxardo Maraschino liqueur, but alas, I fear she just means the syrup from their brand of cherries.
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