There’s no Official Drink of Summer 2021 in Wichita. But if there were, it would be this
Several years ago, when I found out that Cocoa Dolce served wine slushies, I realized that they were a game-changer for adults trying to survive oppressive summer heat.
Now, Nortons Brewing Company has added to its offerings an alcoholic slushie that’s filling the void left nearly two years ago when J.D. Young closed his Funky Monkey Shaved Ice 21 + business that served grown-up sno cones spiked with booze.
The brewery at 125 N. St. Francis, owned by Dan and Becky Norton, introduced its new beer slushies back in April, and I’ve been drinking them ever since. They are so cold, so unique and so tasty that I have declared them the Drink of the Summer 2021.
The idea to introduce the beer slushies came from Becky Norton, whose husband, Dan, said he was not crazy about the concept at first. (He did not get into beer brewing to make sno cones, he told me earlier this year.) But then, they shared the idea on social media, and it blew up.
The slushies are made by freezing the brewery’s various gose sour wheat beers in the special machine, which turns them into smooth, frozen treats. Nortons has been offering various flavors each week, including a strawberry lemonade version made with an infused gose beer. I’ve tried three different slushies over the past several months, including the Hootie Hoo, made with Norton’s lime-Popsicle flavored Gose and sprinkled with lime Sour Patch Kids. Last week, I had one that tasted like bananas.
The slushies are served in clear glasses that highlight their vivid colors, and each is served with a coordinating drink umbrella and a fat straw. They’re definitely tart, and they’ll always make your mouth pucker, especially on the first sip. But then, you won’t be able to stop drinking. I see myself enjoying many more of these as the weather gets hotter and hotter.
The slushies are $7 apiece and pair nicely with some of the brewery’s whimsical menu items, including bacon crack, grilled PB&J sandwiches and funnel cakes.
Keep up with the flavor of beer slushie Nortons is serving each week on its Facebook page.
This story was originally published June 14, 2021 at 1:42 PM.
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