Nutcracker

By Millie Peartree

Updated February 18, 2025

  • Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
Media 1 of 2
Total Time
10 minutes, plus at least 8 hours freezing
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes, plus at least 8 hours freezing
Rating
4(354)
Comments
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You’ll find this staple of New York summer at the beach or in parks on hot days. Sellers offer these drinks, and they can vary in how they’re made, but, usually, they’re some mix of vodka, rum, tequila, Everclear or Cognac (or a combination) mixed with fruit juice, and sometimes even candies like Jolly Ranchers. As for how it was invented? It depends on whom you ask, but the origins are likely uptown in the 1990s, with some pointing to José Chu, who worked at Flor de Mayo, a Chino-Latino restaurant at 101st Street and Broadway. If you’re making these at home, there’s no wrong way to do it. Just use what you have on hand, make it as sweet or as tart as you want, and enjoy. Make sure you don’t chug too quickly, because this sweet, candy-like drink will sneak up on you. Sipped over the course of a few hours, though, it’ll keep you friendly and relaxed.

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Ingredients

Yield:3 (16-ounce) drinks  

  • ½ cup vodka or tequila  

  • ½ cup dark rum, preferably Bacardi 

  • ½ cup peach schnapps

  • ½ cup Everclear 

  • 1 (32-ounce) container fruit punch (preferably Hawaiian Punch), chilled

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Line up 3 (16-ounce) plastic bottles with lids on your countertop.

  2. Step 2

    To a large mixing bowl or pitcher, add vodka, rum, schnapps, Everclear and fruit punch; whisk to combine.

  3. Step 3

    Fill each bottle using a spouted measuring cup or funnel, leaving a bit of space at the top for the drinks to expand as they freeze. Cover the bottles with lids and shake the drinks to fully combine.

  4. Step 4

    Place drinks in the freezer until slushy, 8 hours and up to 24. (You can make them 24 hours in advance, but know that they’ll need to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes or so to defrost a bit. Make sure to give them a good shake before drinking; they’ll start out slushy but melt quickly.)

Tip

  • The temperature of your liquid will determine how quickly your beverages will freeze. For quicker freezing, chill all your ingredients before assembling.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
354 user ratings
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Comments

Fiona

While some are deriding this as mere jungle juice, New Yorkers will know the pleasure of buying one of these partly frozen on Coney Island and savoring it for hours. There is deep culture and nostalgia in this drink, not just mere booze (although there’s plenty of that, too ;))

jimmi

At a Methodist college in Dallas Texas in the ‘70’s alcohol was banned on campus in public. This recipe and a Solo cup solved that problem. “…just Hawaiian Punch Officer Leach!”

Lara

Honestly the picture is doing a lot of the heavy lifting of making this drink appealing to me - now I want something pink and refreshing and non-alcoholic

me

nothing says 'I wanna get rock and I don't care whats in there or how nasty it tastes' like a nutcracker. even the name has been stolen.

Eric

Does Bacardi make a dark rum?

writergirl5000

I used to live a block away from Flor de Mayo and they absolutely originated there. There are a million variations. I used to make mine with vodka, triple sec, midori, fruit juice and ice. Put it in the blender and added Pop Rocks (hey, it was the 90's when I did this and we were YOUNG) after. You can't lose with Nutcrackers. I love that they're still here and all over the city. Especially uptown.

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