I have big plans for boozy popsicles this summer. Big. Plans. As far as I'm concerned, there is a whole wide world of cocktails out there just waiting to be made into popsicles. The only question is how?
Alcohol has a lower freezing point than fruit juice and other pop ingredients, much lower than our home freezers can manage. Even a little booze will interfere with the way popsicles freeze and too much actually keeps them in a permanent state of slush.
According to People's Pops, a Brooklyn-based popsicle shop with a new cookbook on the market, we should engineer our pops with 20% or less total alcohol. This works out to about 1 1/2 ounces (1 shot) of alcohol in every cup of fruit juice. As a bonus, People's Pops says that this amount of alcohol gives popsicles nice, soft texture.
With this knowledge, let us go forth and create! Do you have boozy popsicles in mind for this summer?
• Get the Book: People's Pops: 55 Recipes for Ice Pops, Shave Ice, and Boozy Pops from Brookyn's Coolest Pop Shop by Nathalie Jordi, David Carrell, and Joel Horowitz, $11.50 from Amazon
More Boozy Popsicle Fun
• Grownup Popsicle Recipe: Boozy Campari Citrus Pops
• Chill Out and Relax: 5 Boozy Popsicle Recipes
• Bellini, Vodka, and Chocolate-Bourbon Popsicles
• Fig Port Wine Popsicles & More: 6 Boozy Cocktail Party Pops
(Image: Liz Vidyarthi)
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I've found this recipe to be really good: Spiked Watermelon Mint Pops
The mint helps cover up that vodka aftertaste, but you definitely don't need as much as she calls for. The pops also have a tendency to separate a little bit as they freeze. I solved this by letting the bowl of liquid get good and chilled in the freezer before I poured it into the molds. Also, give it a good stir between every pour.
Yes! I've been waiting for this! Root Beer Rum Float Popsicles here I come!
Endless Summer has a great series of boozy popsicles they call poptails I'm pretty sure I need to have a poptail party this summer to have a good excuse to make all the ones I've pinned.
So it also depends on the ABV of what you are using...
You know, I have been contemplating the logistics of augmenting my freezer's ability with copious quantities of dry ice lately ...
Ooh, or what about a chest freezer??
Mmm, I just made peach & tequila popsicles that taste like summer ought to. 1 shot to 1 1/2 cups of fruit juice wound up imparting just enough flavor to make them adults-only; it also gave 'em a really nice not-completely-frozen-but-icy-enough texture.