Drinks with Anna: Quarantine Frozen Cocktail Queen

By Anna Tusa

LIKE MANY OF YOU the stay-at-home order has unleashed in me many emotions (sometimes all in one day). It has also taught me new things about myself. For instance, I do have a green thumb and I really do like tequila. While sweatily planting my herb garden one afternoon, I started thinking about ways to cool off in this NOLA heat. Let’s face it…we only had spring temperatures for half of March, then the heat started. As I began looking at the blooming lavender, mint, and rosemary, my mind started working creatively again, which was fun. Frozen Craft Daquiris was my “ah-ha” moment. I missed going to the restaurant and creating new cocktails. Bonding with our guests over craft cocktails was fun, engaging, and most of all exciting. I immediately grabbed lavender, mint, and strawberries from the garden, went to the kitchen, broke out the Ninja blender, and went to work. 

The daquiri was born in a small Cuban town in 1898, but in NOLA, it’s part of who we are. Everyone has a memory from getting their first frozen daquiri, and I think most of us got it from the drive-thru…it was refreshing, fruity deliciousness in a Styrofoam cup. Yes, those drive- thru piña coladas, jungle juices, and white Russians are delicious, but I wanted to craft frozen daiquiris using fresh fruit, herbs, and quality booze. 

I used my husband (my shelter-in- place partner) as my test pilot and I set out to be the “Quarantine Frozen Cocktail Queen.” Some of these drinks are my play on traditional drinks and some are pure quarantine creations. 

Louisiana Strawberry Mojito 

Mint Julep 

• 10 mint leaves
• 2.5 oz Woodford Reserve 4 oz soda water
• 1.5 oz simple syrup 10-15 ice cubes 

Blend until smooth, pour into a proper julep cup, garnish with mint leaves. 

(This was my Kentucky Derby/ Jazz Fest in Place Drink) 

Frozen Briquette 75 

• 4 oz Mumm Sparkling Rosé
• 1.5 oz Hendricks Gin
• 1 oz homemade lavender syrup
• 1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice 10-15 ice cubes 

Lavender syrup: In a medium saucepan combine one-part sugar and water. Toss in lavender. Bring to a boil stirring. Allow to cool and strain into a bottle. 

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Garnish with a lemon zest. 

Elyx Strawberry Mule 

• 6 fresh Louisiana strawberries
• 2.5 oz Absolut Elyx
• 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
• 4 oz Barritt’s Ginger Beer (use the one in the bottle made with real Cane Sugar) 
• 10-15 ice cubes 

Blend till smooth. Serve in a copper mule cup with a strawberry garnish. 

Frozen South Peters Cosmo 

• 8 fresh blueberries 
• 2 oz Skyy Vodka 
• 1 oz St. Germain 
• 1 oz Prosecco 
• .5 oz freshly squeezed lime juice Splash of Cranberry for color 10-15 ice cubes 

Blend until smooth. 

Frozen French 75 

• 2 oz Martell Blue Swift
• 1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 oz simple syrup
• 4 oz Champagne/Cava
• 10-15 ice cubes 

Blend until smooth. (This was my Jazz Fest in Place Locals Thursday drink.) 

Frozen Paloma 

• 3 oz Esplon Blanco Tequila
• 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 oz freshly squeezed ruby red grapefruit juice
• 10 -15 ice cubes. 

Blend till smooth. Garnish with lime. (This was my Cinco de Bayou drink.) 

Frozen Creole Coffee 

• 2 oz Absolut Vanilla Vodka
• 1.5 oz praline and cream liquor
• 4 oz freshly brewed espresso chilled 10-15 ice cubes 

Blend till smooth. Garnish with a coffee bean. 

Frozen Toulouse St. Milk Punch 

• 2 oz Cask & Crew Walnut Toffee Whiskey 
• 1 oz simple syrup
• 1 dash of vanilla extract 4 oz whole milk 

Blend till smooth. Garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg and cinnamon. (This was my Easter morning drink.) 

Frosé 

Yields 4-6 drinks 

• 1 750-ml bottle chilled Rosé
• 1⁄4 cup vodka
• 4 cups chopped strawberries
• 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 8 cups ice 

Combine half of the Rosé, vodka, strawberries, and ice. Blend until slushy, if too watery add more ice and blend again. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. 

(Note: When blending all drinks everyone’s ice and blender are different. You may have to tweak the amount of ice a little.) 

I know it looks like I drank the entire stay at home order, but it was research, right? My husband has a new appreciation for the frozen drinks after his days of pressure-washing and gardening projects with me. I cannot wait to enjoy some time on the patio with friends, social distancing of course, with one of these delicious cocktails. I hope you enjoy these crisp, refreshing, and most of all, beat-the-NOLA-HEAT drinks.