An Easy Technique for Better Frozen Drinks

We’re strong proponents of having a good home bar. Welcome to Cocktail Hour, where we’ll show you the best ways to put your liquor cabinet to use. This cocktail technique is brought to you by thebar.com.

Today: Your blend just got better.

I learned how to blend a frozen drink the hard way.

Not that it resulted in any lost digits, or a bad batch. I just added the ice to the blender first. And as a devotee to the thicker blended drink, this proved less than ideal (read: watery). A piña colada deserves a bit of body and a little sweat on its glass, and the best way to give it that extra oomph is to layer in your ingredients—rum, then juices, then cream of coconut, then ice—and hit go. With the press of a button, those hard, cold cubes turn to snow and the liquids are jetted around in a cyclone, all settling into a slushy dune, ready to be poured and consumed immediately—as cold as you can get it.

The order of things is key to building a soft, pillowy mound of a drink, and we're going to show you how to blend one up—just watch the video below.

Make your own at home with this recipe, a classic and coconut-strong version that'll produce drinks for two—and will make you want more. Just don't forget the garnishes or paper umbrellas!

Photos by James Ransom

We've partnered with thebar.com to bring you cocktail content for your home bar. Please enjoy responsibly.