Guys, I’m melting. I am subsisting mostly on iced tea and popsicles. And still, so thirsty, all the time. The only thing that would make this better is an icy, slushy, fruity beverage. With vodka.
I have fond childhood memories of just such a beverage. My mother would whip up a huge batch of this magical strawberry slush for summer BBQs (and before you call Child Services, mine was always sans vodka). But in the “adult version,” the vodka kept the whole mix from becoming a solid block in the freezer, so you could just scoop it up, thin it out with something bubbly and serve. I am pretty sure she made a whole pail of it.
I emailed her this week and demanded the recipe, which she still has, handwritten on a cue card, in one of those plastic boxes where you put other cue cards with things written on them (a subsequent conversation about cloud computing also followed. Oh, moms.)
Here’s the problem with stuff you loved as a kid: sometimes, when you go back for it as an adult, it’s not so great. For example, during a late night study break during law school, I was overcome by an inexplicably intense craving for, of all things, a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I don’t even actually think I ate this more than a few times as a kid, but that didn’t stop me from marching out to the 24-hour store at 1am., rushing home, and pouring myself a giant bowl of it. Except, one bite in, large amounts of regret. It was so sweet it made my teeth hurt. I wound up throwing most of it out. Some things just need to remain a childhood memory.
But not this stuff! Granted, the original recipe is insanely sweet, calling for two whole cups of sugar to start off. There’s also Kool-Aid mix in it, and you’re supposed to water the frozen slush down with 7-Up (aka more sugar). Yup, this stuff is straight outta the ‘80s book of block party BBQ recipes. Here’s my attempt to adult-ify this one a bit more for less sweet palates, though if you love things Slurpee-sugary, you can go for the original recipe. This will work with raspberries or even blackberries, but you’d have to adjust for sweetness depending on how tart your berries are. It’ll keep all week in your freezer for quick post-work cocktails — assuming you don’t drink it all at once, of course.
Summer Berry Slush
9 cups water
1 cup sugar
2.5 cups vodka
2 pints strawberries, raspberries or blackberries (fresh or frozen), or a mix
2 pkgs unsweetened Kool-Aid (strawberry flavour)
1 12 oz can frozen orange juice or lemonade
Soda water (or 7-Up or Ginger Ale)
1. Bring sugar and water to a boil. Cool 5 minutes
2. Pulse vodka, berries, Kool-Aid mix and orange juice/lemonade in a blender. Add cooled sugar syrup and pulse until smooth.
3. Empty into a large container that will fit in your freezer (if you have a tiny freezer, you may need to portion into smaller containers). Freeze mixture until slushy.
4. To serve by the glass, scoop slush into glasses until about two thirds full, then add soda and stir. Alternately you can scoop a bunch in a punch bowl and mix in soda to taste.
Sara Chan is a Toronto-based entertainment lawyer, food enthusiast, unprofessional home chef and even less professional food photographer. Her favourite food group is pork. Sara’s column appears every other Tuesday here on lawandstyle.ca.
Photo by Keith McDuffee