The Frozen Cherry Limeade is a bold, tart frozen drink machine formula — tart cherry juice delivers deep color and fruit complexity, Top Hat Margarita Batching Mix adds the lime and citrus backbone, and a touch of Simple Syrup or Agave Nectar brings it all into balance. Visually stunning, incredibly sessionable.
Tart cherry juice freezes beautifully — the deep red color intensifies in the machine and the tartness holds through dilution. The Margarita Batching Mix provides the citrus structure that keeps this from reading as a fruit punch. Simple Syrup gives a clean sweetness; Agave Nectar adds a warm, slightly smoky depth — use whichever fits your menu.
Batch Method
- Combine 5 liters spirit, 2 qts tart cherry juice, 5 qts Top Hat Agave Margarita Batching Mix, and 32 oz Simple Syrup or Agave Nectar in a large clean cambro or Cornelius keg.
- Add 6 qts cold water.
- Stir or shake thoroughly to fully integrate all ingredients.
- Refrigerate the full batch. Do not freeze the full cambro — load the machine in portions.
- Pour approximately 10 qts into the frozen drink machine hopper (check your machine's max fill line).
- Set machine to frozen cocktail mode. Allow 30–45 minutes to reach proper consistency before service.
- Refill from the refrigerated cambro as the hopper empties.
- Serve in appropriate frozen drink cups. Garnish with cherries and fresh mint.
Pro move: Simple Syrup = clean sweetness that lets the cherry and lime shine. Agave Nectar = slightly earthier and warmer — a better match if your spirit is tequila or mezcal. Either works; the choice is a style decision. Stir the cambro before each machine refill to keep the cherry juice integrated.
- Batch the full formula in a clean 22 qt cambro or Cornelius keg. Keep refrigerated.
- Pour ~10 qts into the machine hopper. Do not overfill — check your machine's max fill line.
- Allow 30–45 min to reach serving consistency before opening to guests.
- Stir the cambro before each refill pour to keep cherry juice integrated.
- Refill the hopper as needed throughout service. Keep the cambro cold at all times.