The Seven Coolest Booze-Infused Frozen Drinks in Denver

Summer is in full swing, with the temperatures to prove it — we've been sweating our snow cones off. Using ice to chill beverages dates back at least to the Egyptians, where it was mostly reserved for royalty and the very rich. But thanks to technology, you no longer need to be a pharaoh to enjoy a refreshingly cold adult beverage.

When the mercury spikes, here are some of our favorite places to enjoy a frosty spiked beverage.

12 Spirits Tavern
420 East 11th Avenue, Denver
303-955-5142
Located in Cap Hill’s historic — and ostensibly haunted — Patterson Inn, this cozy neighborhood bar is an intimate and chill place to enjoy craft cocktails and nibbles. The Cap Hill Carrot combines juices (orange, lemon and carrot) with Bulleit bourbon and bitters. During the summer, the bar throws the spirit-forward sip into a blender for a frosty and refreshing seasonal twist. And if you ask, owner Chris Chiari (who can often be found behind the bar) will happily blend one of the other options from the cocktail menu with ice, too. 12 Spirits is open from 4 to 9 p.m. daily.
Ace Eat Serve
501 East 17th Avenue, Denver
303-800-7705
Dollar (five) dollar bill, y'all: If cocktails rule everything around you, head to Ace Eat Serve. Denver's favorite spot for pan-Asian cuisine with a side of table tennis puts a top spin on happy hour from open to 6 p.m. daily, when its rotating summer slushies price at a very cool $5. It also has a rotating Espolòn frozen margarita on the regular beverage menu.

Death & Co
1280 25th Street, Denver
720-330-2660
When the first three people you mention frozen booze to say, “frozen espresso martini at Death & Co,” you make your way to RiNo’s Ramble Hotel and amble up to the Garden. The airy oasis is open Wednesday through Sunday from 3 to 9 p.m., and the rotating slushie machine is filled with a delightful drink inspired by the frozen Irish coffee on tap at New Orleans French Quarter bar Erin Rose. “It tastes like a boozy Wendy’s Frosty” says bartender Matthew Hallas — and he’s right, in the very best way. D&C’s version has vodka, dairy-free milk, plenty of coffee and crème de cacao. The Garden’s south wall boasts a neon sign reading, “Wish You Were Here,” and this perfect dessert or summer afternoon treat will surely make you wish you were, too.

Edgewater Beer Garden
2508 Gray Street, Edgewater
720-853-2337
Frosé all day! The pink concoction at this former firehouse was the editorial pick for Best Frosé in the 2024 Best of Denver. Containing vodka, rosé, Aperol and lemon, this delightful drink will tickle any summer drinker pink. Non-frosé aficionados can get their craft beer fix from more than forty bottles and cans and eighteen taps of handcrafted brews, many of which are made by local producers.

Li'l Devils Lounge
255 South Broadway
303-733-1156
This friendly Baker neighborhood hangout welcomes drinkers both straight and gay to its plentifully decorated and generously patioed space on South Broadway. The beach-themed bar out back has a tiki vibe, but it’s the blended slushies that really solidify the tropical ambiance — a whopping 25 boozy blends are on offer, including standards such as margaritas, daiquiris and pina coladas. Go beyond the classics and slurp up the whipped cream and graham cracker-topped key lime pie made with lime rum and melon liqueur; or the Horny Drifter with tequila, margarita and strawberry puree. On summer weekends, Li’l Devils’ back bar turns into Hades Grill — the perfect spot to grab a burger.

Swanky’s Vittles & Libations
1938 Blake Street, Denver
720-483-9699
Locally owned and located just a foul ball from Coors Field, this Wisconsin-themed stronghold has been serving Badgers and Packers fans since 1998. Along with cheese curds and wings, boozy slushies are a mainstay of the menu. Five main flavors can be mixed and modified with an array of other liquors, juices and purees. Try the Big Lebowski, an icy mix of vodka, coffee liqueur, and vanilla soft serve. But if you opt for the 32-ounce “Biggie Size,” don’t say we didn’t warn you.
The Waldschänke Denver
4100 Jason Street, Denver
303-997-7375
In Swiss/German, the word "waldschänke" means "forest tavern," and this family-owned and operated Swiss-inspired cider house has an impeccable ancestry; co-owner Ruth Dufresne’s father, George Mueller, helped dig out the original forest tavern’s cellar in Romanshorn, Switzerland during World War II. Opened in 2019, Denver’s Waldschänke offers house-roasted coffees in the morning (along with burritos and quiche), but the stars of the schänke are the unfiltered, gluten-free Swiss-style ciders. Two slushie machines ice up a rotating variety of frozen ciders, which are available individually or combined in a pretty, refreshing swirl.