Taking a popular child's drink and making it an adult-style treat
You see them in the mall, in gas stations, at amusement parks, and at a variety of fast food restaurants. You know exactly what I’m talking about: slushies.
As a child, I remember longing after the Slurpee in the gas station: huge plastic vats of frozen, corn syrup-filled goodness churning before my eyes and making my juvenile tongue water. Now, if I were to walk in to any gas station and get a cup full of Slurpee, I’d probably feel kind of like a child.
If you’ve ever felt this way—embarrassed to pursue your slushy craving because of the social construct that slushies are for kids—the world of wine has a solution for you. Frosé is, you guessed it, frozen Rosé, and is becoming the staple drink of the summer.
In many ways, Frosé is the perfect summer drink. It’s pretty much your favorite light, sweet, summer wine, mixed with more sweetness (all hail the sweet tooth), and blended together with ice to create an adult slushy capable of making even the hottest of summer days bearable.
Frosé isn’t the first alcoholic drink to embrace the slushy ideal. We’ve had Piña Coladas and Strawberry Daiquiris forever, but there is something so classy and refreshing about the light pink slushiness of a Frosé that the other drinks can’t touch.
Unfortunately, not all wine drinkers feel this way. Many sommeliers see the Frosé as a defilement of the art of wine drinking, and many people in general have considered Rosé, in itself, to be an inferior wine because of its mild and sweet flavor.
But the hate towards Frosé goes beyond just personal taste. Apparently, there is a lot of science as to why making a Frosé is an impractical option. According to Laura Burgess, certified sommelier from the West Coast, wine is extremely delicate, and any extreme change in temperature will separate the wine’s components, such as its flavor and aroma, which pretty much means that, when you make a Frosé, you’re robbing wine of its most important components.
Also, winemakers spend years designing their wines to taste the best between 55 and 65 degrees, so apparently, we are also making waste of skilled winemaker’s perspectives.
While science doesn’t lie, feeling refreshed doesn’t either. At the end of the day, if your palate is refined and you personally feel like a Frosé is an abomination, then maybe it would be best if you avoided. On the other hand, if you want an adult slushy that refreshes you and satisfies your sweet tooth, Frosé may become your favorite drink.
Either way, don’t knock it ‘til you try it. Hit up Chattanooga wineries like Riverside Wine, The Vine, or Imbibe to get a great Rosé and make a great Frosé.
Happy slushying everybody!
Strawberry Frosé
(courtesy realsimple.com)
- 1 (750 mL) bottle of dry Rosé
- 10 ounces fresh strawberries (about 2 cups sliced), plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ cup vodka
- 2 tablespoons grenadine
Pour Rosé into ice cube trays and freeze until solid.
Combine the strawberries and the sugar in a blender and let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes, until the berries begin to release their juices.
Add vodka, grenadine, and rosé cubes. Blend the mixture on high until smooth.
Pour into glasses and garnish with strawberries. Enjoy!