Everyone knows that boozy slushies are all the rage in the summer — but what about spiked snow cones? While the adult take on this childhood favorite can be as simple as pouring vodka over rainbow-colored ice, it can also be as sophisticated as an Aperol snow cone or, perhaps even better, a rosé snow cone. Call it what you want — you can even go so far as to refer to it as a “kakigori cocktail,” if you like — either way, you’ve got yourself a fun summer ahead with one of these in hand.
Everyone has their favorite fruit syrups for shaved ice, but whether you prefer sour cherry or pomegranate, we bet none of them truly compare to your favorite cocktail. All you need are your cocktail ingredients and snow cone ice. After mixing your drink, it’s as easy as filling half the glass (or cone) with ice and pouring. Then, load on more ice, top the mound with any fancy garnishes you might have on hand, and grab a spoon, because your summer just got that much better with a spiked snow cone in hand.
All the boozy possibilities
Given that a spiked snow cone is, essentially, any old cocktail poured over finely crushed ice, you can take virtually any drink recipe and turn it into one. Because it’s a snow cone, it’s going to be more refreshing in the summer — and even better with a go-to summer cocktail poured over it. An Aperol spritz or a rosé/frosé option is more than in the cards, as is a Negroni, which has been popping up in frozen and kakigori variations on summer drink menus. A margarita snow cone option is another obvious choice.
No matter which cocktail you choose to spike your snow cones with this summer, it can be as simple as pouring it over ice. However, if you’re worried about it melting too fast in the hot sun, you can take some extra precautions. Following an expert mixologist’s tips, you can freeze the glass you’re going to be serving your spiked snow cone in, or add a larger ice cube before adding the snow cone ice and pouring the cocktail. Another idea is to put a popsicle in it — just like what you might do with an Aperol spritz in the summer. An even better idea is to crush up the popsicle and use it as your snow cone ice — that way your drink won’t become diluted.
