No, it is not too early for a cider ice pop — and don’t let anyone tell you different.
Fortunately, if you are wanting to get your popsicle on in early spring, bartender Colin Spensley has got you covered. Spensley is the resident craft beverage enthusiast at Bestie, a German-centric eatery located in the heart of Chinatown District in Vancouver, BC. His cocktails and drink lists are concise and focused on local makers and classic cocktails.
Using a frozen take on the Sbagliato cocktail — an Italian classic that is like a sparkling Negroni — Spensley also puts a cider spin on the edible drink. “Sunday Cider is the sister company to Bestie and is made by our two owners, Clinton and Dane,” Spensley says about the cocktail’s featured cider. “It’s bone-dry, so it makes a great replacement for Prosecco, which is a key component in a Sbagliato.”
As a tip for eating the drink, Spensley says to allow the ice pop to soften slightly in a glass of cider. “Dip between bites and allow some ice to dissolve into the glass of cider, which you can drink after the ice pop is done.”
Chilly Emilio
Makes 1 drink
1 each Chilly Emilio Ice Pop (recipe follows)
6 ounces Sunday Cider Sesh cider
Place the Emilio Ice Pop in a large glass. Top with cider and enjoy.
Chilly Emilio Ice Pops
Makes about 4, depending on ice pop mold size
1 cup (8 ounces) Sunday Cider Sesh
½ cup Campari
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup simple syrup
Mix the ingredients together in a pitcher then pour into 4 ice pop molds, leaving a little room at the top for freezing expansion. Add the pop sticks and freeze at least 12 hours or until totally frozen.
This recipe originally ran in print Vol. 8 of Cidercraft magazine. For the full article and more like it, click here.
