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    Key-Lime Pie In A Cup — With GIN!

    It's open season on frozen drinks. Here's a frothy refresher to get you started!

    It's officially summer, which means frozen blended drink season is ON. This one is compliments of my friend Marty, who sent along a summertime favorite his mom makes at his family's Santa Cruz, California beach house. "She uses a can of frozen Limeade and half-and-half, then gin and ice in a blender," he wrote. "It's pretty damn good."

    Simplicity, folks, can be genius:


    SANTA CRUZ-STYLE LIMEADE

    One can of frozen limeade concentrate ... empty into a mixer
    Fill the limeade container with half-and-half ... empty into the mixer
    Fill the limeade container with gin ... empty into the mixer
    Add ice and BLEND!

    I followed Mrs. Machado's directions exactly (this recipe was actually passed down from her grandmother) and found the proportions to be perfect. It's cool, frothy, and tart, and pronounced by two independent testers, "like key lime pie in a cup."

    TIPS FOR LAZY AND CREATIVE BOOZERS

    • I visited a few grocery stores before I found a can of Minute-Maid limeade. Don't despair if you can't get your hands on it — Mrs. Machado said she uses lemonade concentrate sometimes.

    • I used Bombay Dry gin, which is good and clean-tasting for mixing.

    • Don't like gin? Use vodka.

    • Try it with grated nutmeg on top!

    • Although this is refreshing, it's more like dessert than a drink, so you might want something lighter if you're in for a long night. Or... dieting.

    Jenni Avins mixes drinks in her New York kitchen, where she also writes about food, fashion, travel, and the arts for various magazines and websites. She makes videos too.Follow her on Twitter @jenniavins