When the warm weather hits, and the summer sun is beating down, a cold, refreshing cocktail always sounds great. And while mixing up your favorite drink is a perfectly acceptable choice, you may want something more portable, and ultimately more convenient. Enter: boozy popsicles.
Boozy popsicles, or adult ice pops, can be made at home with just a handful of ingredients – plus a touch of creativity and a dash of patience. When you make these treats at home, you can mix and match so many different flavor combinations, or find inspiration in classic cocktail recipes for the ultimate refresher. If you’re having fun in the sun, make a batch of boozy pops for the best way to cool down … while getting a little buzz along the way.
Choose Your Base
First, you’ll need to choose the best liquid base for your popsicles. The size of your popsicle mold, whether you’re using a silicone form or simply using Dixie cups with popsicle sticks, will determine how much total liquid you’ll need to make a batch. For a traditional 10-pop mold, you’ll need a total of 5 cups, or 40 ounces, of liquid. Choose from options such as pureed fruits, fruit juices or even ginger beer as your base depending on the flavor combination you’re hoping to achieve.
Mix Your Base With Booze
The key to making boozy popsicles is to find the perfect ratio. Alcohol has a lower freezing point than other liquids, meaning you can’t just make pure boozy popsicles and assume they’ll freeze. By mixing alcohol with a non-alcoholic base, it raises the freezing temperature, and you’ll be able to freeze the popsicles in a matter of hours.
For a 10-slot popsicle mold, utilize 4½ cups, or 36 ounces, of your base liquid, mixed with a ½ cup of your added alcohol, or the equivalent to three shots. You can choose to use a versatile, clear option such as vodka or gin, but bourbon, tequila or any other liquor will work. Combine the base with your booze and stir to combine. If you’d like your mixture to be sweeter, add sugar to taste.
Pour Your Pops
If you want to add chunks of fruit to your popsicles, mix that in. Once your mixture is ready, pour it into your mold, filling each just below the top. Then add your popsicle sticks.
Let Them Freeze
Boozy popsicles require a bit of patience, but they’re definitely worth the wait. Plain old juice will freeze much faster on its own, but it’s important to allow time for the alcohol to completely freeze. Once your popsicles have been poured, pop them in the freezer and allow them to fully freeze for at least four to five hours before removing them from the molds and enjoying them by the pool, in the backyard or any
Photos by Petar Marshall
