The official start of summer is still about a month away but temperatures are already soaring into the triple digits on the First Coast.
So we asked ourselves, with this sweltering heat, how does one cope? Well, you reach for a cold beverage of course! And for us at First Coast Brews, that beverage is preferably frozen and alcoholic.
There are a ton of great frozen drink options in Jacksonville that include boozy milkshakes, refreshing beer slushies and fruity wine freezes.
Here are some drool-worthy frozen drink options here on the First Coast.
Legacy Ale Works in Bartram Springs
Legacy Ale Works is one of the newer breweries on town. Located in the Bartram community of South Jacksonville, they serve up two new slushies every week!
But fret not wine lovers, one of the slushies is usually wine based. Past flavors have included delicious concoctions such as Hive Five Blueberry Lemonade, Frozen Red Wine Sangria, Peachy Beachy made with Hefeweizen, Coffee Stout with Hershey’s Chocolate. More about Legacy here.
Reve Brewing in Mayport
Reve Brewery and taproom on Mayport Road in Atlantic Beach is known for their crazy beer based slushies. In a recent interview with October, the brewery says that on some days they run out of slushies two or three hours after they open. That's insane!
The flavors are always rotating but are sure to please every palette with flavors including "I Knew You Were Bananas" with strawberry, blackberry, lemon, banana, vanilla and "Quite Cherry It Seems” a cherry, guava, apricot creamsicle sour slushie. See their latest offerings here.
Lemon Bar in Neptune Beach
In 2019, Lemon Bar got voted the #2 Best Beach Bar in the state for Florida. If that's not saying something than nothing else will! Situated where Lemon Street meets the Ocean in Neptune Beach, this tropical hangout is famous for their beach day parties and delicious frozen drinks.
Their signature frozen drink is the Lemon Bar Freeze made with Three Olives Citrus Vodka, ice cream, and fruit juices. Garnished with pineapple, this concoction is perfect for a hot day. More info here.
Wicked Barley in Baymeadows
Nestled on Goodby's Creek, Wicked Barley is a great summer hangout and they are also the winner of the First Coast Brews 2019 Brewery Bracket.
Their frozen specialty? Mead slushies! They usually run two or more frozen flavors a week. The current slushy is a 'Lemon Meringue' made with mead, cream and Natalie’s Fresh squeezed lemonade 🍋. Past flavors have included 'Mead-a-Rita' and a 'Pineapple Brazilian Pepper Mead Slushy'. More info here.
Kickbacks GastroPub in Riverside
One Jacksonville restaurant is turning craft beer on its head by crafting a milkshake that is part brew, part dessert! Kickbacks' owner, Steve Flores, is the mastermind behind beer-shakes, an interesting boozy take on a traditional milkshake.
Flavors include Hazelnut, made with Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar and the eccentric Pumpkin favor shake, made vanilla ice cream, cookie butter, and Southern Tier Pumking Pumpkin Beer. More here.
RELATED: First Coast Brews: Shaking it up
The Rec Room in Five Points
There's no better way to spend hot summer days than to hide out in a cool arcade sipping on frozen drinks. The Rec Room is part bar, part retro arcade and all nostalgia.
They always have Frośe on tap and have seasonal offerings including Fromosas, Rum Runners and other delicious concoctions. It's just like being back in your parent's basement, but with more booze. More here.
Have suggestions for other places that have delicious frozen drinks? What about suggestions for new stories? We want to hear from you! Send First Coast Brews a message