Where to drink

Where to drink in Fort Worth right now: 10 best bars for frozen cocktails

When the summer temps soar in Fort Worth, it's high time for a frozen drink. Keep cool with frosty cocktails from these nine local hot spots that are blending up boozy frozen concoctions - from frosé, frozen carajillo, and frozen horchata to piña coladas, margaritas, and ice cream shakes hand-spun with shots. Here are nine new and proven places in the Fort Worth area for some frosty relief right now:

Buena Vida Taqueria
This hip Near Southside taqueria (314 S. Main St.) combines fast-casual eats with a festive atmosphere and al fresco dining – all perfect for pairing with frozen cocktails. Try the piña paleta made with tequila, watermelon, and pineapple juice; or the mangonada, made with tequila and mango puree rimmed with chamoy and served with a chamoy straw. Frozen margs and piña coladas are also on the menu.

Cowboy Ice
Hudson Oaks’ first daiquiri shop just celebrated its one-year anniversary. Cowboy Ice (3316 Fort Worth Hwy.) offers out-of-the-box frozen daiquiris in flavors like Jolly Rancher, Tiger’s Blood, mojito, and champagne frose. Seasonal flavors range from Big Red to “Cowboy Frappuccinos.” The drink stop also sells Jell-O shots, snacks, and non-alcoholic slushies for the kiddos.

Eskimo Hut
The original Fort Worth booze barn (5518 W. Vickery Blvd.) has been delivering drinks through driver’s-side windows for more than two decades. (Newer locations now exist.) New Orleans-style frozen daiquiris come in countless flavor combinations, each served in a giant Styrofoam cup that is lidded and tightly sealed in plastic wrap. Fan favorite flavors include the Malibu Barbie, blended with piña colada, peach, raspberry, and cream; and Cactus Juice, a mix of pineapple, kiwi, and margarita. Add a shot for extra potency. Eskimo Hut also sells bloody Marys, micheladas, and "loaded" gummy bears.

Fat Tuesday
In case you missed it: there’s a Fort Worth outlet of the Bourbon Street-based Fat Tuesday frozen daiquiri bar in the Stockyards (140 E. Exchange Ave.), and it’s the only one in North Texas. (The next closest is in Waxahachie.) The famed rum-based frozen drinks come in colorful varieties and flavors, like the Cat 5 Hurricane, Peach Bellini, and Miami Vice strawberry piña colada. All are served in a to-go cup (or a plastic boot for extra cowboy cred) great for keeping cool while strolling through the Stockyards.

Hopdoddy Burger Bar
With locations in Left Bank, Alliance, and Euless’s Glade Park, Hopdoddy is known for its Black Angus burgers and hand-cut fries, but also for its boozy shakes. Flavors include Midnight Mocha, Oreo Cookies N’ Cream, Nutella Pretzel, Salted Caramel, and classics like vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. All can be made boozy with a shot of Jack Daniels, Fireball, or Kahlua, to name a few potential potent additions. Hopdoddy shakes come in two sizes – “regular” and “mini,” the latter ideal for those looking for a small but potent sweet treat.

Jon’s Grille
Chef Jon Bonnell’s burgers and barbecue concept by TCU (2905 W. Berry St.) has an entire menu of hand-spun shakes – all available to be made “boozy” with the addition of a shot. Made with Plano-based Henry’s Homemade Ice Cream, shake flavors include Jon’s Old Fashioned Root Beer Float, Mamaw’s Pralines, the s’mores-inspired “You’re Killing Me, Smalls,” and basic vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and caramel.

Margarita Hut
This new frozen margarita and daiquiri stop in North Richland Hills (5600 Rufe Snow Dr.) celebrated its grand opening this spring, serving slushies for on-site sipping or to-go. Offerings range from classic lime margaritas and creamy piña coladas to blue Hawaiians and spicy mangonada margs. Choose from 8-ounce servings all the up to one gallon. Customers who sip on-site can partake in sample flights. Delivery is also available.

Snowy Margarita
Opened last summer, this Fort Worth pit stop (4936 Overton Ridge Blvd.) for frosty beverages provides a taste of the tropics with flavors like piña colada, watermelon daiquiri, and the turquoise-colored “paradise.” Unique flavors include frozen horchata and “no mercy” Cherry Coke. Snowy Margarita is strictly a grab-and-go place with drink sizes ranging from 16 ounces to one gallon.

Quince Riverside/Facebook

The frozen cocktails are as pretty as the patio views at Quince.

Quince
Keep cool on one of the hottest patios in town (1701 River Run) with one of Quince’s frozens. Creative options include the original Quince frosé, the frozen Carajillo (made with Licor 43 and espresso), the Hypno-Rita swirled with house-made sangria, the purple-hued Horned Frog mojito made with aged rum, and the Frosé-Rita. All frozens are half-off during happy hour, 4-6 pm Monday-Tuesday and 3-6 pm Wednesday-Friday.

Tannahill's Tavern
Chef Tim Love's Mule Alley tavern is serving adult shaved ice and frozen cocktails from the sidewalk Friday through Sunday from 12-10 pm through the summer. The menu includes frozen margaritas, frozen sangria, and swirls; along with a unique concoction called Peanut Colada - Love's twist on the traditional piña colada blended with Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey. Zero proof shaved ice is also available.

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Bagel News

New shop Branded Bagels in Northlake does it New York style

Branded

Branded Bagel

A bagel shop serving New York-style bagels has opened in Northlake: Called Branded Bagels, it’s an indie shop in a new-ish shopping center at 1242 FM 407 #300 in Northlake Commons, where it opened softly in May, with an official opening on July 10.

Branded Bagels was founded by couples Peter & Christie Wangoe, and Craig & Andrea Wilkinson, friends who were inspired to open a shop after taking a life-changing bagel tour in New York two years ago.

With Branded, their goal is to replicate a New York-style bagel with the contrast of a chewy inside and a crispy shell, and bring it to Texas.

“We went to New York several more times, got some recipes, came back, and built it from the ground up,” Christie says. “It probably took 75 recipes to get to the plain bagel recipe that we love. We’ve had people come from the East Coast and say it’s just like a New York bagel."

To achieve the desired texture, they use a multi-rack oven which steams, then bakes the bagels.

They serve 14 to 16 bagel varieties such as Sesame, Everything, Garlic, Onion, Poppyseed, Cinnamon Raisin, and Jalapeno Cheddar. They have more than a dozen cream cheese schmears, all made in house in creative varieties such as honey almond, sundried tomato, spicy bacon, and birthday cake.

They offer a weekly rotating flavor such as the Asiago bagel and a hot honey maple bacon schmear. Single bagels are $4; a dozen are $22.

The bagels can also be ordered in breakfast and lunch sandwiches such as bacon, egg & cheese; Caprese with pesto cream cheese schmear drizzled with Balsamic vinegar; and salmon lox, starting at $6. They also have hot and iced coffee, and soft serve ice cream.

Although it's a new venture, Christie says that she and Andrea always enjoyed being in the kitchen, trying new recipes, and cooking for family gatherings.

They chose to open in Northlake because of personal connections to the community and closeness to home. The space is rustic-chic, with gray brick counters and indoor and patio seating.

"We had a vision and it was a big leap of faith, but we wanted to serve the community in Northlake," Christie says.

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