Beer drinkers across the country are increasingly finding that one of the best ways to beat the summer heat isn’t just by tossing back a cold one but by sipping on an icy beer slushy. And brewers and retailers selling these refreshing beverages have discovered that they’re an allure for new customers while also providing some nice margins.
“People get excited about coming to our tasting room or outdoor patio on a hot summer day for a cooling beer slushy,” says Mark Osborne, owner of Adroit Theory Brewing in Purcellville, Virginia, which has been serving up the frozen treats since 2016. Offering three different slushies a week, each produced in a 5-gallon batch, Adroit Theory isn’t the only Virginia brewery serving up such drinks. “I’m definitely seeing more breweries making slushies,” Osborne says, “although they don’t do it to the degree that we do.”
Fruited beers and sweet stouts were the initial inspiration for Adroit Theory’s slushies ($6-$17 for servings ranging from 5 to 16 ounces), Osborne explains. In addition to the beer, they’re typically comprised of fruit purée and ice cream powder. For some slushies, such as the Oreo Reese’s peanut butter stout expression, the beer rests on its ingredients overnight. Brewery staff encourage guests to sample the featured beers along with the slushies, the brewer notes, or to consider a mixed slushy, whereby one frozen flavor is layered over another.
In Anaheim, California, meanwhile, craft brewery Radiant Beer Co. has been selling beer slushies ($9 for a 10-13-ounce serving) and soft-serve beer ice cream for about three years. “These items are a fun way to capture a new audience,” says company president Jonas Nemura, who adds that because Radiant aims for frequent rotation of slushy flavors, some customers come in every week. “There’s a following,” he adds.
Beer retailers and bar owners have also jumped on the beer slushy bandwagon. Garth’s Brew Bar in Madison, Wisconsin has served frozen beer drinks year-round for about four years. “We wanted to have fun, approachable options for our non ‘hop-head’ customers,” explains owner Garth Beyer, “but beer lovers also buy them.” Garth’s slushies ($6 for 6 ounces and $7 for 12 ounces, served up in tulip beer glasses) comprise beer, simple syrup, fruit purée, and hard seltzer, the latter of which adds back alcohol lost from freezing the beer. Among the brews recently featured in the bar’s slushies were Drekker Spread It PB&J sour and Half Acre Fruit Friends strawberry fruit tart.
Beer slushies have also become trendy in Pennsylvania convenience stores and beer distributor outlets. Rutter’s, for example, offers about ten different Spiked Slushies at 63 locations in the state, according to Adam Long, senior category manager. Among the more popular flavors at the chain are spiked Jamaican, blue raspberry, and peach mango. Meanwhile DeTolla’s M&M Beverages, a beer distributor in Hermitage, Pennsylvania, has been selling malt liquor-based slushies ($5 for 24 ounces) since early last year, and they’re among the venue’s top-selling products, owner Bob DeTolla says. “Slushies have become a big part of our business,” he notes. “Our customers coming back for them helps increase food traffic.” Slushies aid in driving up average dollars per transaction because they’re often an add-on sale, says DeTolla, adding, “I wish I had room for 12 more.”
At Rutter’s, beer slushies are “a point of differentiation,” Long says. “There are few retailers who offer them in our markets.” Beyer and Nemura add that the frozen drinks are emerging as beverage solutions for non-beer drinkers at beer-focused venues. “They’re a good option to have for when a group comes in and maybe one member isn’t a beer fan,” he adds. “Some of these customers aren’t core craft beer drinkers,” agrees Nemura. “They need a gateway product.”
While growing in popularity and profitability, beer slushies do present a few challenges. Slushy machines, for example, can be expensive to purchase, and require frequent cleaning. Determining the right flavors and appropriate volume can also be tricky. And while most brewers and retailers say these products sell well year-round, not everyone agrees. “Slushies are definitely seasonal,” Nemura says.
Still, beer slushies are showing signs of staying power. “I’m actually surprised that more beer bars haven’t pulled the trigger on them,” Beyer says. “But then again, I’m fine with that because it keeps us unique.”