Frozen Shangos

Guys…what happened to spring? We had gorgeous 70 degree weather and sunny skies for about three seconds, then suddenly it was winter coat weather again, and now my iPhone weather app tells me that it’s going to be high 80s/low 90s for the next few days. It’s madness! Of course, I’m not really complaining about the warmer weather – it’s a welcome change from the seeming endless winter we’ve been having this year, and my poor balcony plants could use a few days of heat and sun. And, hotter days = more excuses for me to make blended beverages for dinner.

Well, technically I’m still training for a 10K and trying to stay as healthy and booze-free as possible until June, so I can’t actually have blended cocktails for dinner…yet. But Dan has no such qualms about any of that. Even without a strict diet/training regimen, that son of a b***h is in far better shape and is much better at running than I am. This makes me furious, but that’s what happens when you marry a former competitive high school/collegiate runner. Anyway, the point is, it was hot when I got home yesterday, I made a pitcher of Frozen Shangos before I remembered that I wasn’t supposed to be drinking, and Dan got to enjoy several delicious, frosty glasses of the stuff while I stared at him enviously. Hmph.

(“Can you make your taking-a-sip face look a little less awkward?”)

OK, so what is a “Shango”? As far as I can tell, there is a brand of rum called “Shango Rum Liqueur”, but the only place where I’ve seen a Shango cocktail is at a little restaurant/bar near our place. According to their drink menu, a Shango is made with mangos, peach liqueur, and rum, and served on the rocks. I’ve ordered it a few times, and it’s delicious. I’ve been meaning to recreate it at home for a while now, but I’ve never had mangoes on hand. Luckily, while rooting through my fridge yesterday, I discovered a bag of frozen mangoes hidden in back of my freezer. The gods had spoken. It was Shango time.

As it happens, I was recently asked by Vegas.com to participate in an online blogger mix-off. Vegas Uncork’d, a well-known food festival held by Bon Appetit in Las Vegas, is going on now, and Vegas.com is celebrating the event by challenging bloggers to come up with creative drink recipes. This digital mix-off is inspired by the Mix Master event, which is taking place at the Aria Hotel and Casino this year.

I was originally at a loss for what to make, but I think this recipe fits the bill pretty well. My Frozen Shangos are a little different than ones I’ve had at Clare & Don’s. To begin with, they’re frozen vs. on the rocks (mainly b/c my mangoes were frozen). Also, they’re made with a few different ingredients (b/c my liqueur cart was running low on some things). The end result is a smooth, icy frozen cocktail that looks like orange juice in my photos (goddamnit), but tastes like a citrus-mango explosion in your mouth. It’s delicious, it’s refreshing, and it’s my new favorite drink (yes, I let myself have a few sips).