There is nothing better than a nice cold gin and tonic in summer – G&T's are our absolute favorite drink, and this Frozen Gin and Tonic is one of the best ways to relax in summer! It's a bit like a granita, a bit like a cocktail – and totally good. Our husband has been tinkering with some frozen versions of our favorite cocktails with tonic syrup – twists on gin and tonic classics like our Cardamom and Juniper Gin and Tonic!

Want to turn your favorite gin and tonic cocktail into a fun, frosty, frozen gin and tonic slushy? This recipe is for you!

At Avdaye, we add lots of tips in all of our recipes – because we are a home cook without any formal training, and we find we are more confident making dishes when we understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. Our goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

How To Make Frozen Gin and Tonics

These frozen gin and tonics are one of our favorite drinks in summer – our husband will mix up a big batch and leave them in the freezer, so we can make a quick cooling drink whenever we need. You don't need any fancy equipment for this drink – 2 28″ jars with plastic, tight-fitting lids, a freezer, tonic syrup, and gin!

We hope you love this slushy frozen gin and tonic recipe as much as we do!

Freezing tonic water presents a problem – the bubbles don't freeze, flavors become watered down, and the texture is too icy, not like a snowcone or slushy. This easy gin and tonic recipe keeps a solid texture, and uses half the ingredients of other frozen G&T's, by using tonic syrup instead of tonic or simple syrup:

Buy our favorite brand of tonic syrup here. We love the granita-style slushy texture tonic syrup gives this cocktail – and how it doesn't water down the flavor.
We personally think Jack Rudy tonic syrup is the best tonic syrup we've used.
For a sweeter kick, you can also use Jack Rudy Elderflower tonic syrup.

If you don't have tonic syrup, and want to check out a frozen gin and tonic with a bit of a different take, check out our friend Eden's frozen gin and tonic recipe!

After freezing for 6 hours, your frozen gin and tonics will start to become lightly slushy.
After 10 hours, your frozen gin and tonics will be more of a hard slush.
After freezing overnight (12+ hours), your frozen gin and tonics will be slushy – use a spoon to scrape up scoops of the cocktail and place in a glass.

Kitchen notes

Consume within four months. Keep mixed gin and tonic ingredients in an airtight container in the freezer for up to four months. Flavor will start to degrade in freezer after a few months.

Use a spill proof lid. We recommend using a plastic spill proof lid for a mason jar. Metal jar lids can give a tinny taste to frozen drinks, so for best results, use a plastic lid.

Store in a glass jar. If you don't have a jar, use a glass food storage container or tupperware to store in freezer. If using a plastic container, try to consume within a few days for best flavor.

Recipe FAQs

How long can this recipe be kept?

Frozen gin and tonics can last in the freezer in an airtight container for up to four months.

Can you freeze a regular gin and tonic?

While you can freeze a gin and tonic, the texture will be off-putting with crunchy and hard ice; and the flavor will be muted, as the tonic's carbonation will have completely left and it will taste watered down. For this reason, we use tonic syrup, which has a more intense flavor than tonic water, and more viscous texture that freezes well with alcohol for a smoother, easier to eat/drink cocktail!

Can you make non-alcoholic frozen gin and tonics?

Yes! There are numerous gin substitutes that make a good non-alcoholic gin and tonic, including Seedlip spice 94, Monday Zero Alcohol Gin, and Ritual Zero Proof Gin. All have a great flavor that we enjoy.

Other good Drinks You'll Love

If you love these drinks, check out some of our other favorite easy cocktails, like our Pear and Gin Fizz Cocktaila deliciously simple and flavorful classic Sex on the Beach Cocktailor a 4 Citrus Margaritas (& “no”garitas) that is bursting with bright citrus flavor!

If you love tonic, don't miss our port and tonic cocktail. It's a HUGE hit with everyone we make it for – and one of our friends requested recipes!