Want to know how best to combat a sticky, humid Virginia summer? Just add ice. Well, that and your choice of spirit, fruit juice, coconut milk, and mixers. This summer, Trummer’s in Clifton is offering an entire summer menu filled with creative frozen tipples designed by co-owner and bar manager Stefan Trummer. The list features a blend of classic cocktails like the mint julep and seasonal favorites like a frozen cosmo and a piña colada; there are also some fun original recipes like a Bananas Foster Daiquiri and Panananango, with vodka, papaya, banana, mango, and yuzu. The specialty cocktails will rotate on a weekly basis and can be sipped at the bar, in the lounge or dining room, or on the sunny outdoor patio.
If you are inclined to scoop some cubes into a blender and whip up your own backyard-friendly beverages, Trummer is at the ready with some inspiration:
What was the inspiration for this menu?
We have been making frosé and frozen popsicle drinks for the past couple of summers and wanted to expand our offerings this year. It’s always fun to come up with some new drinks, but it is also fun to take a well-known classic drink and present it in a new way—we are really excited about how these drinks came out.
What are a few of your favorite frozen cocktails from the summer menu?
I love the frozen gluhwein, which is usually a hot drink—the combination between a frozen drink and warm baking spices make this drink really unique. I love the Panananango because it is a really bright, refreshing and light drink that you can sit back and drink all day. And the Coconut White Russian is a fun after-dinner frozen drink; the coconut milk makes this drink a bit lighter, but I think that the typical “dude” would still approve.
What tips do you have for making great frozen cocktails at home?
Frozen cocktails often end up watered down because it takes so much ice to get that frozen consistency; at the restaurant, we have a special machine that just freezes the liquid without adding ice or water, which then results in more flavorful and stronger drinks. If you are making frozen cocktails at home, have all of the ingredients really well-chilled or even frozen so you don’t have to add too much ice to the blender. Also, use either really cold ice cubes or crushed ice, since it breaks down faster and creates a good slushy-like drink; avoid ice that has already started to melt. Any blender should be fine, but if you have a home ice cream maker, that would be the best—you can just freeze the drink without adding ice at all.
Can you share the recipe for your favorite batchable frozen cocktail?
I think that the classic piña colada is still one of my favorite frozen cocktails. It’s strong, not too sweet and the coconut gives the drink a super creamy texture.
10 oz. dark rum
5 oz. light rum
2 ½ oz. fresh lime juice
5 oz. cream of coconut (like Coco Lopez)
10 oz. pineapple juice (ideally fresh, or canned)
Pineapple leaves and toasted coconut, for garnish
Mix the cream of coconut with the pineapple juice, add the other ingredients, then set in the refrigerator to cool. Transfer the mixture to a full-size blender, fill with ice and blend. (Do it in batches if your blender container isn’t large enough.) Pour the drinks into tall glasses and garnish each with a pineapple leaf and a sprinkle of toasted coconut.
Can you provide a few recipes for frozen cocktails from the current menu that are easily replicable at home?
Bananas Foster Daiquiri
2 ½ oz. rum (Trummer uses Bumbu Rum)
1 oz. fresh lime juice
½ oz. simple syrup
½ bruléed banana (broil or brown using a kitchen torch)
Add all ingredients to a blender, add a scoop of ice, blend, and pour into a rocks glass.
Watermelon Thai Basil Margarita
2 oz. Thai basil–infused tequila (see note)
1 oz. Combier, Cointreau, or Triple Sec
1 oz. fresh lime juice
3 oz. fresh watermelon juice (blend watermelon cubes and strain out solids)
Thai basil sprig, for garnish
Add all ingredients to a blender, add a scoop of ice, blend, pour into a margarita glass and garnish with the Thai basil.
For the Thai basil–infused Tequila:
Pour a cup of blanco tequila into a glass jar, add ½ cup Thai basil leaves, and allow to infuse for two days or until desired flavor is achieved, shaking the jar daily. Strain out solids.
Feature image courtesy Trummer’s Restaurant
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