You may have thought blender drinks were just for health freaks – green juices, super vegetable smoothies and alls sorts of weird and wonderful combinations to boost vitality, energy and a youthful appearance. In many cases you’d be right, but the humble blender does also have other uses, mainly to turn a regular alcoholic drink into a rather special alcoholic blender drink. If you haven’t yet started using your blender for this alterative purpose then here are a few recipes to get you started.

The Daiquiri

A classic blender drink and one that is often best consumed by the side of a swimming pool, preferably on a Caribbean island. If you’ve not got the plane fare then bring a taste of the Caribbean to your home and throw together a daiquiri as soon as the sun is over the yardarm. You will need 1 1/2 oz light rum, 1 tbsp triple sec, 1 tsp sugar and a large handful of crushed ice. Once you have these basic ingredients you can create any daiquiri that takes your fancy, by adding the desired fruit – a handful of blueberries or raspberries, a banana, some strawberries or some apple juice. Thrown in a couple of squeezes of lime and a maraschino cherry garnish and you’re away!

The Frozen Margarita

The margarita is another classic blender drink that can also come in a whole range of different flavours. You absolutely must serve the margarita in a proper margarita glass with a rim lined with salt crystals, and make sure you buy some decent tequila as it can really make the drink. The basic ingredients for the margarita are 1 1/2 oz tequila, 1/2 oz Triple Sec, a dash of sour mix (sugar syrup and lemon juice in equal parts) and a couple of handfuls of crushed ice. To that you can add anything you want, whether that’s frozen berries, pineapple, or something exotic like lychees.

Pina Colada

This is strictly one for the girls, the gays and any men very secure in their sexuality as the Pina Colada should be served in a large curvy glass (a hurricane glass) with a slice of pineapple, a maraschino cherry and preferably a large cocktail umbrella and a sparkler! Add 2oz of white rum to 6oz of pineapple juice and 11/2 oz of coconut milk, 1oz of heavy cream and two large handfuls of ice. Blend together and serve quickly. If you want to add a bit of uniqueness to your Colada then try a few variations, such as adding brandy to make a Kappa Colada, or Drambui and Grenadine to create a patriotic ‘4th July Colada’ (dribble the Drambui and Grenadine in after you’ve blended the rest of the ingredients to create the patriotic colours otherwise you could well end up with a rather swampy looking creation).

Whilst these are some of the best, classic alcoholic blender drinks, if you have a blender and an imagination then you can pretty much create your own drink! If you want to make sure it’s still drinkable then stay away from too many bright colours, limit your spirits to two shots per cocktail and don’t skimp on the ice!

About The Author: Amy is a freelance writer from the UK working with Russell Hobbs.