There are plenty of ways to cool off this summer from blasting the AC to cannonballing into the nearest pool to our personal favorite, chasing down a frozen cocktail. Whether you’re all about wine slushies, boozy brain freezes, or tropical tiki creations, Denver’s bars and breweries are ready to blend and pour.
From popcorn-spiked tequila to piña coladas served in hollowed-out pineapples to vodka-splashed Slush Puppies, these 15 spots in and around the Mile High City are serving icy sips for those sizzling summer days when “on the rocks” just won’t cut it.
Adrift’s Frozen Tiki Drink
Duck into Adrift, the South Broadway tiki bar where the pufferfish lanterns glow, the rum flows, and it’s perpetually five o’clock somewhere. Boozy Caribbean classics like mai tais and painkillers anchor the menu. But fans of frozen drinks can sip a Frozen Chi Chi, a pineapple-coconut drink made with Family Jones vodka. Spike it further with an add-in; the house favorite is a macadamia nut liqueur. 218 S. Broadway, Denver, adriftbar.com
Cerebral Brewing’s Brain Freeze Slushies
Sure, an ice-cold beer hits the spot on a hot day. But when round two calls for something colder order a 10-ounce Brain Freeze slushy from Cerebral Brewing’s Congress Park taproom. The rotating flavors lean as inventive as the brewery’s beers: think mango-chili-lime, watermelon fresca, and whatever else brewers are dreaming up. The slushy flavors change every few weeks and are best paired with a sunny afternoon and a seat on the neighborhood brewery’s spacious front patio. 1477 Monroe St., Denver, cerebralbrewing.com
Swanky’s Vittles and Libations’ Big Lebowski
A Midwest dive bar in the heart of LoDo, Swanky’s specialty is the Big Lebowski, a rich and boozy blend of vodka, coffee liqueur, and vanilla soft serve. Order it straight up, or mix it with other frozen cocktails to create a spiked root beer float or a creamsicle-inspired treat. The frozen machines are also stocked with drinks like Everclear and fruit punch (the Bucky), frosé, and more. In summer, Swanky’s is a go-to spot before Rockies games, while in the fall, it fills up with passionate Green Bay Packers fans. 1938 Blake St., Denver, swankys.com
Acova’s Wine Slushies
The Misty is one of Acova’s most popular housemade cocktails. The organic wine slushy comes in red, white, or mixed, but that’s just the start. Bartenders can build your favorite cocktail by adding a float on top. Some ideas to get your wheels turning: blackberry liqueur, huckleberry vodka, Cointreau, or St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur. Swing by for Slushie Sunday, when The Misty is marked down a few bucks. 3651 Navajo St., Denver, acovarestaurant.com
Smok’s Frozen Mules and More
A frozen cocktail very well may be the best way to tame the fire from a Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich at Smok. While ribs, brisket, chicken, and more rule the menu, the barbecue joint serves up icy cocktails at both its RiNo spot inside The Source and its Fort Collins outpost. Flavors rotate, but you can usually count on refreshing sips like strawberry margaritas and frozen mules made with ginger beer, lemon vodka, citrus, and a zing of ginger syrup. The Source Hotel and Market Hall: 3330 Brighton Blvd #202, Denver; and 327 E. Foothills Pkwy #110, Fort Collins, denversmok.com
Poka Lola Social Club’s Seasonal Baseball Season Sipper
Before grabbing your Cracker Jacks and settling into your seat at Coors Field, start your game day at Poka Lola Social Club on the Dairy Block. Try the Bad News Bears, an unexpected popcorn-inspired frozen cocktail that hits all the right notes. Built on a base of buttered popcorn-washed Don Julio Blanco tequila, it’s also blended with chocolate and coconut for a sweet summer treat. A touch of ube turns it purple, which is a playful nod to the Rockies. 1850 Wazee St., Denver, pokaloladenver.com
Los Arcos’ Frozen Margs and More
Frozen margaritas are a must at any Mexican joint, but if you’re after some of the best in the biz, it’s worth the Uber ride to Westminster. That’s where Los Arcos is slinging seriously strong margs in flavors like strawberry, mango, peach, raspberry, banana, and wild berry. But here’s the twist, this family-owned gem doesn’t stop at margaritas. They also serve a show-stealing piña colada poured into a chilled, hollowed-out pineapple. 4991 W 80th Ave., Westminster, arcosrestaurant.com
Señor Bear’s Ever-Changing Frozen Libations
LoHi’s Latin American-inspired kitchen and bar Señor Bear has a drink menu full of summer-appropriate sips, from the P.O.G. margarita (passionfruit, orange, and guava) to the cucumber-mint limonada. The bar team turns its specialty drinks into a frozen form, too, with the rotating congelado del dia selection, which usually calls in rum or tequila as a base and features tropical ingredients. Turns out it’s also perfect for pairing with croquetas or seafood tostadas. 3301 Tejon St., Denver, senorbeardenver.com
Schoolyard Beer Garden and Schoolyard Café’s Frozen Espresso Martini
Over the past few years, the espresso martini has staged a comeback stronger than a triple shot. The newest iteration of the coffee-based cocktail can be found in frozen form at the Schoolyard Beer Garden and Schoolyard Café, a new arrival in the Golden Triangle neighborhood. Originally a public elementary school, the 121-year old building Classic Revival architecture is a stunning place to enjoy a cocktail or beer in the outdoor garden area. 1115 Acoma St., Denver, schoolyardbeergarden.com
Linger’s Frozen Drinks on Shuffle
Head to the rooftop at Linger to enjoy street food-inspired eats, Mile High City views, and a summer sipper. Bartenders switch things up with the rotating frozen cocktails, but you can expect global-inspired libations like a frosty take on a painkiller, the British Virgin Islands-born cocktail traditionally made with rum, pineapple, coconut and dash of nutmeg. 2030 W. 30th Ave. Denver, ediblebeats.com
Perdida’s Toasted Coconut
Coastal Mexican hotspot Perdida’s menu is made with agave lovers in mind, featuring everything from margs and palomas to the mezcal Firecracker that sparks a sweet-spicy balance with watermelon and serrano peppers. The frozen tequila tippler on the menu is a Toasted Coconut, which is akin to a nutty, tropical blended margarita. It comes garnished with a ribbon of toasted coconut flakes. 1066 S. Gaylord St., Denver and 1257 W. 120th Ave., Westminster, perdidakitchen.com
Beat the Bomb’s Booze-Free and Spiked Cocktails
For a leveled-up game night head to Beat the Bomb, a new entertainment spot in Denver where stepping inside feels like jumping straight into a video game. Suited up in hazmat gear, teams race to disarm a paint, foam, and slime bomb while dodging lasers and cracking codes. Before, or after, the action, enjoy a drink at The Bomb Bar, which has a lineup of fun drinks from a frozen Shirley Temple or Pink Lemonade to boozy hits like the tropical Blue Hawaii rum cocktail, the lip-puckering Sour Apple, or a Passion-Berry Margarita. 3863 Steele St. Unit 1273, beatthebomb.com
1Up’s Popsicle-Inspired Slush Puppies
When the summer heat hits its peak, here’s your power move: Duck into the cool, dim glow of the nearest 1Up Arcade Bar (locations include LoDo; Colfax; Greenwood Village; Westminster). Between rounds of Pac-Man and pinball, order from the Slush Puppies menu. The lineup reads like a popsicle variety box —orange, blue raspberry, lime, grape, strawberry, cherry, and more. You can spike any of them with your favorite booze or go for a house favorite like the Scooby-Doo, a blue raspberry slush mixed with lemon vodka. Multiple locations, the1uparcadebar.com
Platt Park Brewing’s Rotating Frozen Cocktails
Beer may take top billing at Platt Park Brewing. But don’t sleep on the frozen drinks, which are the scene-stealing co-stars. On sweltering summer days, the slushy machines hum with seasonal concoctions like frozen rum and Cokes, tropical vodka slushies, tangy mango margaritas, peachy vodka lemonades, and pastel-hued piña coladas splashed with blue curaçao, which, deceptively, is an orange-flavored liqueur. 1875 South Pearl St., Denver, plattparkbrewing.com
Slaters 50/50’s Top Notch Milkshakes
Capping off this frozen lineup is an over-the-top milkshake from Slater’s 50/50, where dessert drinks look like they took a detour through Willy Wonka’s factory. The elevated sports bar serves up towering shakes like the Happy Happy Birthday with a rainbow sprinkle rim, Twinkies, and candy galore and the campfire-inspired S’mores Shake topped with marshmallow fluff and crushed graham crackers. For something a little stronger, try the Adult Mint Chocolate Guinness Shake, loaded with Andes mints and sprinkles. Want to kick it up a notch? Add a shot and turn your shake into a boozy masterpiece. 3600 Blake St., Denver, slaters5050.com
