Snoop Dogg's Favorite Party Cocktail Isn't Gin And Juice

Snoop Dogg may be known for rollin' down the street and sippin' on gin and juice, but if he's throwing a party, he likes to step it up. The cheeky rapper is a fan of a cocktail with an equally cheeky name — Pink Panties! It is a sweet and fruity blend of frozen pink lemonade, strawberries, vanilla ice cream, and ice, and true to Snoop's form, it is also a gin-based bevvy. This cocktail was the go-to drink that the popular girls whipped up at parties back when Snoop was in junior high, as he told LA Weekly (via Thrillist). Even today, it's perfect for sipping poolside under the California sun.

To make one, it really is as simple as throwing everything in a blender. For the frozen lemonade component, use canisters of frozen concentrate that you find in the freezer section. Ready-made lemonade will water down the drink too much. It's worth noting that many pink lemonades are just regular lemonade with food dye (indeed, the origin of pink lemonade was a bizarre accident involving pink-stained water). To keep the color but add some flavor, opt for strawberry, raspberry, or cranberry versions.

Using frozen strawberries creates a nice slushy consistency, but you can also use fresh if you don't have any on hand. As for the ice cream, classic vanilla adds that yummy sweet cream flavor that balances out the acidity. If the end product tastes too sweet, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or more ice.

There are many different types of gin with flavor profiles that include spice, citrus, herbs, fruits, florals, and more, with notes ranging from puckery lemon to sweet licorice. All gins use juniper for flavoring, which lends notes of pine, but for this particular cocktail, you want to avoid bottles that feature juniper too strongly. Instead, go for dry and citrusy gins, such as London Dry and Plymouth styles; anything with notes of fruits or florals are also good bets. 

Of the major labels, Bombay Sapphire and Tanqueray gins are both good options, as are Beefeater and Hendrick's. For Snoop Dogg, Tanqueray is usually his brand of choice. Smaller companies also make a wide variety of gins that draw on flavors that play particularly well with the Pink Panties ingredients. For example, Masons of Yorkshire makes a pink grapefruit and cucumber number, and Mistral Gin's rosé dry gin draws on spices like pink peppercorn and herbs such as mint, basil, and thyme. If gin really is not your thing, go for vodka or light rum instead.

The Pink Panties cocktail also makes a great base for a zero-proof blended beverage. Just substitute the gin with ginger ale, lemon-lime soda, or a berry flavored sparkling water for a refreshing, alcohol-free treat.