If your current weather strategy involves hiding directly in front of an air conditioner and praying for rain, I have a much better alternative. You can officially stop melting and start day-drinking your ice cream instead.
NYC’s viral soft serve margaritas have touched down in Toronto, and naturally, we had to haul ourselves over to El Catrin Destileria in the Distillery District to investigate. The premise is absurdly simple yet total genius: Take two of life’s absolute best things — nostalgic, smooth soft serve and a heavy-handed, tequila-loaded margarita — and swirl them together into one gloriously boozy... snack? Dessert? Drink? It's a bit of all three.
Because I refuse to make tough decisions on a hot day, I went straight for the twist (a glorious mashup of mango and strawberry). At $17 for a solid 2-oz pour, it's dangerously easy to drink, wonderfully slushy and aggressively refreshing. On top of that, you are racing against the clock, as it melts pretty quickly. For me though, soft serve is a lot easier to finish off than a strong drink.
While the thought of sitting outside in peak El Niño heat usually makes me break into a pre-emptive sweat, El Catrin’s sprawling patio is fully prepared. They've equipped the space with heavy-duty overhead misting systems for the hottest days of the season. Even though we ventured out when the misters weren't blasting yet, knowing we could get gently spritzed while drowning in guacamole was comforting enough.
Add in that electric Distillery District energy and a soft-serve machine pumping out sweet tequila bliss on tap, and we can confidently say this outing is a welcome break from the Toronto heat. But with August flying by and patio season on a strict timer, you'll want to get moving before the sun sets on these frozen gems.
Grab your friends, get a table on the patio and beat the heat with these soft serve margaritas before summer slips away. Just try not to let the boozy soft serve melt before you can enjoy this sweet treat.
Soft serve margaritas (2 oz): $17, elcatrin.ca
