Look no further:  I bring to you the only alcoholic beverage you will need to make this summer that will please every type of drinker at all of the BBQs, picnics, and parties you will be attending.  No joke – people go NUTS about these slushies.  Everyone.  The best thing is, they’re dead simple and crazy cheap to make.  Guys, I think I just made you the most popular person in your friend group (unless you’re in my friend group, in which case I am currently the most popular… yeah!).

Last weekend I threw a seasonal cocktail party, as I am wont to do, to celebrate the feel of each new season.  This one was to celebrate summer solstice, and I wanted everything to feel light, fresh, and juicy, a mix of the summer afternoons of my childhood and my mental image of a French countryside picnic.  I made three cocktails, including this one and this one (with 1.5 oz of rum per serving added, naturally), but this peach slushie was the far and away hit.  In fact, only the first half of the people who came to the party got to try it, because they tore through the whole batch before anyone else could even get there.  So let this be a lesson if I ever invite you to a cocktail party – arrive early.

Summer to me is all about feeling your body fully relax and enjoying the sticky, floral fragrance of the abundance of spectacular fruit available this time of year.  Growing up in the Central Valley, I had the fantastic luck to have access to giant cardboard flats of peaches and nectarines, piled high, all summer long.  We’d drive to the orchard out on dusty country roads to buy directly from the grower, the fruit still warm from the sun.  I have memories of picking up flats of fruit on our way out of town up to our cabin, then holding the scratchy cardboard flats across my bare, sunburned legs on the car drive to the mountains.  The flats would sit out on the old kitchen table in the middle of the kitchen, and we’d stuff ourselves with the syrupy fruits, racing against the time and heat to eat them before they went too soft.  My mom would shoo us outside to eat them on the deck, letting the juice drip through the boards rather than on her floor.

I’ve seen versions of this floating around on Pinterest, but really, you don’t need a recipe.  I had fresh peaches from the Central Valley that were at the ultimate peak of sweetness and ripeness, so I peeled, sliced, and froze those, though you could use pre-frozen peaches from the grocery store.  You could also use any white wine you’d like, though each will give the slushie its own nuanced flavor.  It doesn’t have to be expensive, either – I used 2 Buck Chuck.  Lastly, I added some St. Germain, thinking that the floral flavor would nicely highlight the slightly musky flavor of the peaches, but you could really add any complementary flavor you’d like.  I toyed around with the idea of basil, thyme, or cinnamon, but had the elderflower liqueur on hand for one of the other drinks and so used that.

Peach Wine Slushie Non-Recipe (serves 1-2, based on this recipe)

1 peach, cut into slices and frozen

1 cup wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc, because it’s sort of crisp and dry)

1/2-1 oz St. Germain (optional)

Blend and taste.  Depending on your peaches and wine, you may want it a bit sweeter.  If so, add more St. Germain or simple syrup.  Also, if the blending process gets the slushie too warm for your taste, just pop it back in the freezer.

I made this with two bottles of wine, 6 large peaches, and about 1/3 cup St. Germain.

THEN DRINK THE WHOLE THING.