Bourbon Cherry Cola Slushies

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I’m sure you don’t need a random woman on the internet to tell you it’s hot, but I will do it anyway. It’s hot! I love summer but even for me, the hot humid weather can be a slog. And that’s why it pays to have many cooling options on hand. My favorite fix will always be a quick dip in a cool body of water. But until I have a pool permanently at my disposal, I will settle for the more attainable option – these Bourbon Cherry Cola Slushies. This playful drink features a smooth bourbon-spiked cola slushy served with a cherry kirsch granita on top. And because presentation is everything, the slushies are finished with a swirl of whipped cream and a single bourbon-soaked cherry.

Growing up, the corner store down the street from me had a slushie machine. It was self-served and it was stocked with two flavors at a time. The flavors were always pop varieties and on the walk over you’d pray that your favorite flavors were on tap. You also prayed that the slushie machine wasn’t broken. It was broken a lot, which I suppose added to its appeal. I was a root beer fan but I would be fine with Coke. Orange Crush was acceptable. Cream soda and Sprite resulted in aborting the mission entirely. I’m not sure if these are popular opinions or not. They’re just the opinions of an eight-year-old kid living in 90s Halifax. 

The slushie machine didn’t run all year. It was usually up and running at some point in June, probably two or three weeks before the end of school. The machine’s unmistakable and struggling whirring was the first surefire sound of summer. Today, I’m an adult who works most of the summer and rarely slurps on a slushy. But rather than lament my bygone youth, I choose to recreate it and this time I’m adding bourbon because I have to work all summer!

The first thing we’re going to do is fill an ice cube tray with cola. And then, naturally, we’re going to pop that ice cube tray in the freezer. Go slowly while you’re doing this. Even a small jostle can result in a very sticky freezer. It’s not an experience I’d recommend.

Once the cola is well on its way to being frozen, it’s time to work on the granita. The first thing we’re going to do is pop about a cup and a half of pitted fresh cherries in a food processor and blitz them until they resemble mulch. Transfer the cherries to a fine mesh strainer suspended over a bowl. Using a muddler, work the juice out of the cherry mulch until you have half a cup of juice. You don’t have to use fresh cherries, you could just use bottled cherry juice. But since it’s cherry season, why not use the season’s best? 

To the cherry juice you extracted, add 1/2 a cup of water, 1/4 cup of lime juice, a shot of kirsch, and a tablespoon of honey. Taste the mixture and add more honey, if desired. Pour the mixture into an 8×8 pan and pop it in the freezer. Try to put the pan somewhere in the freezer where it can stay level. Bid adieu to both the cherry concoction and the cola until the next day. 

Once your desired cocktail hour has arrived, it’s time to build your Bourbon Cherry Cola Slushies. Start by whipping a 1/2 cup of cream. This cream is destined to be the final flourish for our grown-up slush. And it gives the drink ice cream float vibes, which is nothing but a plus in my books. Fit a large piping bag with a star tip and transfer the cream to the bag. Place the bag in a highball glass to keep it upright. Chill until ready to serve.

Take the cherry mixture out of the freezer. Using a fork, scrape the mixture until it resembles shaved ice. Pop it back in the freezer and grab the frozen cola cubes. Pop the cubes into a high-power blender and add some regular old ice cubes. These boring water cubes will enhance the slushiness. To the cola cubes and ice cubes add bourbon (important), a dash of vanilla extract (nice to have), and several dashes of cherry bitters (again, nice to have but not so integral they warrant a special trip). Blitz everything together on high until very smooth. Spoon the slushy into four chilled glasses.

I probably should’ve mentioned, that having chilled glasses will buy you some time when you’re building your drinks. Slushies melt fast, so time is of the essence. I’m sure you can tell the slushies in these photos were, um, on their way to becoming regular drinks. The cold from the glasses will slow the melting process down a little and any extra moments you can gain at this point will keep your bartending journey nice and chill…literally.

Spoon the cherry granita on top of the cola slushy and pipe a swirl of the whipped cream on top. Finish each drink with a bourbon-soaked cherry and serve immediately. And that’s everything you need to know about these Bourbon Cherry Cola Slushies, a grown-up drink with a childish attitude.

Enjoy!