Stirred and Shaken

It was a quiet Monday night, and my friend suggested we try out a daiquiri bar in our neighborhood. "I've lived here for years," she said, "and never walked into the place." But Sliders (1424-B Westheimer, 713-528-2788) didn't turn out to be much of a daiquiri bar after all. What the place does specialize in are Jell-O shots and alcoholic slurpies with names like X-File, Blazing Banana and Truth or Dare. The decor is clubby industrial -- with exposed I-beams, black light and massive chains holding up the tables. When we arrived, the bartender was just cranking up the Cure and getting ready for the regular night crawlers, but by 10 p.m., the first of two DJs had filled the place with goth beats. We tried a couple of alcoholic slurpies: Sliders' Java and Blazing Banana. The Java was a rich coffee concoction with a healthy shot of vodka, and the Blazing Banana tasted remarkably like a banana Popsicle with a kick. Served in small, medium and large Styrofoam cups, these machine-mixed drinks will hit you with brain freeze before you notice their alcohol content. Please note: Since Sliders uses drink machines, I tested this recipe out for the home consumer using slightly different store-bought ingredients.

Sliders' Blazing Banana:
3 ounces Bacardi Rum Light
2 1/2 ounces Bols Creme de Bananes
1 ounce half-and-half
1 1/2 cups ice

Blend all ingredients until frothy. Soda straws and cocktail umbrellas optional. Sipped a great drink out on the town? Share it with us at jwcrooker@hotmail.com