Not every holiday party needs a frozen beverage, but every party would benefit from one. A Thanksgiving centered around a spinning, frozen slushy spiked with booze? Now that’s a good time. This is why I developed a boozy slushy specifically for Thanksgiving: my Cranberry Maple Margarita. It’s a crowd-pleasing, garnet-hued beauty that infuses a wealth of seasonal flavors into one way-too-easy-to-drink slushy.
But making a slushy at home takes finesse. A little je ne sais quoi. It’s hard to mimic that perfectly pourable-yet-delightfully icy texture of a restaurant-quality slushy at home—but for those who take their slushy game seriously, these tips will make your homemade version just as good, if not better, than their restaurant counterparts with the Ninja SLUSHi™ Max.
When making your slushy base, don’t be too reserved. Once frozen, the flavors will taste less intense, so don’t be coy. That means making a base that is concentrated in every aspect: Boozy, sweet, tart, and even a touch salty if you dare. If you taste my Cranberry Maple Margarita before spinning, you might be shocked. It’s puckeringly tart, a touch fiery, and capital S sweet. But once spun those flavors mellow out and mingle into a perfectly balanced slushy that’s dangerously drinkable.
Also note that you can make the base booze-free. If so, just swap out the tequila and orange liqueur for equal parts cranberry juice. The lime and maple alongside the juice will still provide plenty of puckering tartness that will translate into a flavorful slushy.
Once you’re ready to freeze your base, make sure you have the proper equipment. A blender or food processor won’t do the job. Instead, invest in a Ninja SLUSHi™ Max, a machine that’s specifically calibrated to nail the perfect texture. You just pour your mixture in, turn it on, and watch as the base quickly freezes into an icy delight. You can make up to 12 drinks at once, so there is no need to play bartender and make multiple batches all night. The large capacity means you can spend more time enjoying the party and less time blending.
You also don’t need to pre-freeze anything or fuss with temping anything. Thanks to the SlushAssist Technology, you can just pour your base in, walk away, and let the machine do all the work—a true set-it-and-forget-it situation. The machine will auto adjust the temperature so your slushy turns out perfect every time; no guess work needed. Once the slushy is done, the machine will keep it at the perfect temperature so guests can pull the handle and fill their cups up as many times as they like.
And finally, after your flavor-forward slushy is done freezing, go ham with the garnishes. The frozen margarita is pure joy when decorated with a few fresh cranberries, a slice of lime, and a fun straw—but the world is your oyster. A sprig of rosemary would give it a whimsical flare, a salted rim would be more than welcomed, and a paper umbrella would make it as playful as all get out. It’s the holidays after all, so go wild and decorate with abandon.
The holidays are all about having fun, so go forth and make my Cranberry Maple Margarita Slushy. Your Thanksgiving will undoubtedly be more festive marked with the ruby sipper.
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