If you’ve put this gadget into hibernation, it’s time to bring it back out. Here’s how we’re using it.

If you’re on TikTok, you probably know that slushy machines had a huge summer. From Kmart’s own to the Ninja SLUSHi, these icy wonders have been super popular, selling out faster than you can make your first batch. So, if you’re lucky enough to have one at your disposal, there’s a world of icy drinks to be explored. And even though most of us are facing cooler temps right now, we think it’s always slushy weather.

That includes right now, as these drinks make especially good companions for watching The Big Freeze at the MCG – the annual Motor Neurone Disease fundraiser on the June long weekend where celebs slide into a pool of ice. The Big Freeze is an initiative of Fight MND, which was founded by former AFL player and coach Neale Daniher. Diagnosed with MND in 2013, Neale passed away in May, so this year’s Big Freeze is bound to be extra special to honour his achievements.

If you’re wearing the beanie and watching from home, we’ve done the hard work for you and given some of our favourite alcoholic bevs the frozen treatment. Hot tip: depending on the drinks you’re trying, you’ll need to add some sugar syrup to help the liquid freeze – it’s about the ABV and the point at which the liquid freezes. But you didn’t come here for science, so just know that you’ll need some on hand (it’s super easy to make and keeps well, too). Trust us, this is what gives the slushies a smooth texture, which means you’re not just crunching on flavoured ice.

For the best alcoholic drinks to try in your slushy machine right now, read on.

The original Hard Rated Alcoholic Lemon can

1. Hard Rated

The Hard Rated family grew by two last year – we welcomed orange and lemon pineapple into the fold. Now, we reckon any one of the flavours will work, but it’s hard to go past the OG lemon. Hosting your mates? Crack open a few cans of that zesty Hard Rated Lemon, and you’ll want to mix in some sugar syrup to get a 90:10 Hard Rated to syrup ratio – this will give you a smooth, slushy texture, rather than a snowcone vibe. Pour your mix into your slushy maker. Timings will vary from machine to machine, but you should have your Hard Rated Lemon slushy in 45 minutes or so. Serve it in a rocks glass with a cocktail umbrella for full relaxo mode.

Member Offer

$113 case (24)Non-Member: $22.95 pack (4)

2. Raspberry UDL

Remember UDLs? Same. We’ve been looking for a way to bring these babies back – retro is in, isn’t it? Okay, this is a mixed pack of UDLs, so you do you, but we’re going for the raspberry (red tongue and all). Mixed with vodka, it’s sweet, juicy and very red. As UDLs are already quite sweet (the sugar acts as a natural stabiliser), you can get away with pouring this one straight in, or to ensure it’s perfectly smooth, rather than chunky, you can add a tiny bit of simple syrup – keep an eye on it as you go so you can adjust as needed. Pair your alcoholic raspberry slurpee with a tray of homemade sauso rolls and extra sauce.

Member Offer

$50 pack (10)Non-Member: $54.99 pack (10)

UDL Mixed Cans 10-pack has five flavours

The Espolon Sparkling Margarita in a can

3. Espolon Sparkling Margarita

Too long since you’ve had a frozen Margarita? Your slushy maker and these Espsolon Sparkling Marg cans are about to change that. You’ll need to dilute these handy RTD Margs with some lime juice (or water) and sugar syrup – use four cans and balance your mix with 100mL of lime juice and 150mL of simple syrup, but after a couple of batches, you’re sure to find your sweet spot. Pour it in and hit set and forget (for about an hour), and voilà! You’ll have a frozen Margarita that’s crying out for you and your mates to enjoy on taco night.

$27.99 pack(4)

4. Dark ‘n’ Stormy

An absolute classic, we think the Dark ‘n’ Stormy is pretty damn good already, but frozen? That’s a riff we can really get behind. The thing about cocktails is they generally have a high alcohol content, so we need to bring that down to help the mixture freeze. You’ll need 180mL of dark rum – we’re using Appleton Estate 8 Year Old Reserve Rum – then 400mL of Bundaberg Ginger Beer, add 400mL of water, 100mL of lime juice and 70mL of sugar syrup. You know what goes really well with a frozen Dark ‘n’ Stormy? A big plate of sticky, spicy chicken wings.

$84.99 each

Appleton Estate 8 Year Old Reserve Rum is a great cocktail base

5. Stone & Wood Radler Citrus

As if beer cut with citrus wasn’t revolutionary enough, we’ve gone and frozen it. That’s right, forget ice-cold beers, we’re all about icy beers. If you’re not familiar, a radler is part of the beer-mixer category and it’s generally a combination of beer and lemon soda, lemonade or fresh lemon juice. Stone & Wood has brought the radler back – wheat beer with a little sparkling lemon – so that, in the slushy maker, is chef’s kiss. The alcohol content is relatively low in a radler, so you’ll need to stabilise it with some sugar syrup – a 90:10 ratio should do the trick (be sure to mix them together in a separate vessel first). It’s clean and fresh, so we’re pairing this one with a plate of prawn rolls.

Member Offer

$17 pack (4)Non-Member: $18.99 pack (4)

6. Pineapple Cruiser

We told you retro was in, and while we’re very partial to a Guava Cruiser, we think there’s a time and place for the pineapple. That time is now, in your slushy machine (truthfully you can use whichever Cruiser flavour you prefer). The Pineapple Cruiser is vodka-based with a candied pineapple flavour. But be warned, it is quite sweet, which is why it’s a staple for those with very sweet tooths (present). We’re popping the Pineapple Cruiser in the slushy maker, along with a little sugar syrup (10%) to ensure it freezes (adding water is optional), and then we’re pulling up the Thai menu – talk about a match made in heaven. One order of Thai yellow curry with a side of roti, please.

Offer

A bottle of Vodka Cruiser Pure Pineapple

A bottle of Peter Lehmann The Barossan Grenache Rosé

7. Peter Lehmann The Barossan Grenache Rosé

Remember when everyone was obsessed with frosé? What if we told you that was 10 years ago. Feel old yet? We say bring back frosé. We’re using a grenache-based rosé from Peter Lehmann in the Barossa Valley. This rosé has notes of ripe red fruits like raspberries, watermelon and a hint of strawberry cream. There’s a bit of adjusting to be done to get yourself a true frosé – you’ll need to mix the rosé with water and sugar syrup to bring the alcohol content down to somewhere between 8 and 10%. Adjust to your preference, but we’d say about 70% rosé, 20% water and 10% sugar syrup with a squeeze of lemon juice. This afternoon delight is calling for some fresh fruit skewers – set up a DIY station for your friends to make their own, with berries, pineapple, watermelon and whatever else you can get your hands on. Go nuts.

Member Offer

$19 eachNon-Member: $23.99 each

8. Frozen Aperol Spritz

We think we’ve perfected the Frozen Aperol Spritz, but, this time, we’re swapping the blender for the slushy machine. We do need to tweak the recipe a little as the total alcohol content will lower the freezing point, so the mix needs diluting. Naturally, we need some Aperol (240mL), prosecco – we’re using Belvino DOC (360mL) – and orange juice (240mL). Now for the tweaking – for four serves, add 60mL of sugar syrup and 120mL of soda water or water. The syrup will ensure smooth consistency, while the water will aid freezing. Whip up a round of Frozen Aperol Spritzes pre-dinner to serve alongside snacks like focaccia, olives and salty cured meats.

$19.99 each