Booze in a Blender

Beneath the fluttering fronds of the palapa, bartender Jorge Flores is emptying bottle after bottle of tequila into a plastic container. The frozen margaritas are made in 60-gallon batches, he tells me. If you’ve ever had a margarita at Pico’s [5941 Bellaire Boulevard, (713)662-8383], you know why they need so much. The happy hour deal here is irresistible. A 27-ounce Margarita Grande is served in a huge oversize glass; the 48-ounce Margarita Mucho Grande comes in a goldfish bowl. (Bring your own designated driver.) But enormous margaritas aren’t the only frozen drinks at Pico’s. Flores is also very proud of his frozen Top Shelf Margarita, which I slurp from a martini glass at the bar.

Pico’s Top Shelf Margarita:

This is the frozen version of the extremely potent Mexican martini. It isn’t made in the blender. Instead, you mix up the top-shelf liquors in a plastic jug and put it in the freezer. The alcohol prevents the mixture from freezing solid, so what you end up with is a heavy slush that you spoon into glasses. Serve this frozen drink in small amounts; it is both very potent and very sour.

6 shots Sauza Conmemorativo tequila

3 shots Cointreau

1/4 cup lime juice

2 lime slices

Combine the ingredients in a plastic container that allows easy access with a spoon. Place the container in the freezer for several hours, until the mixture turns to a slush. Spoon into small martini glasses. Garnish with a lime slice. Makes two cocktails.