Boozy popsicles are all the rage now. But for real frozen cocktails, use dry ice ice to make these Red, White andย Blue Boozy Popsicles.
Who else out there is sweating it out this glorious summer? I don’t know about you, but I’ve been hustling my kids about, keeping them busy and keeping them cool. It could be a dip in the pool, a trip to the beach or keeping some homemade popsicles in the freezer.
I know I’m not the only one seeing the boozy popsicles circulating the web and Pinterest. And knowing my husband, I decided to do a little research on the matter.
If you don’t know, alcohol has a lower freezing point than fruit juice. In lay-man’s terms, you can freeze booze in a regular freezer. It just doesn’t get cold enough. According to foodie popsicle experts out there, you need to keep the alcohol content in a popsicle at 20% or less for the popsicle to freeze.
So, I made a sample test of boozy popsicles using this formula. My husband complained that he couldn’t taste the alcohol. My other guests said the same thing.
“More rum! More vodka! More tequila!”
Now it’s not that I have a family full of drunkards or lushes. Even I, a light-weight to drinking, a certified “cheap date” could barely taste the alcohol using the 20% rule.
So, back to the internet I went.
That’s when I found this article that talks about using liquid nitrogen to freeze REAL boozy popsicles. I sent it to my husband,who decided to descend back to middle school because the article called these cocktail popsicles, “cocksicles.”
“Do you have a dewar?” I asked the man who has every tool and gadget possible in our jam-packed garage.
He did not. But it got his brain thinking and he came home with a cooler filled with dry ice.
Ah-ha!
He mixed himself some margaritas. Poured them into dixie cups with popsicle sticks. A couple hours later, we had our first successful boozy popsicles.
Dry ice is definitely a safer alternative to using liquid nitrogen, plus you can find it at your local grocery store. But a few words of caution:
- Never touch dry ice with your fingers – you can burn them severely.
- Keep your dry ice in an insulated cooler.
- How long your dry ice lasts depends on how much you have, so if you are making boozy popsicles for a party, buy the dry ice a few hours before your party.
- Let the dry-ice boozy popsicles sit in the freezer or out in the open air to warm a little so your guests do not burn their tongues on the popsicles. Picture Ralph and the tongue stuck to the flag pole moment in “A Christmas Story.”
Let your creativity flow and have fun with it. To celebrate America’s Independence Day, I made these Red, White & Blue Boozy Popsicles. The were made in stages. First layer was blue, using a raspberry cocktail mixer with vodka.
After that froze (about an hour), I added the white layer lemon/lime soda with vodka. The red layer was cranberry juice & vodka.
You can keep your boozy popsicles in the freezer. They won’t turn to water, but will have more of an icy, crumbly, slushy kind of texture.
Note: To make these kid-friendly, use different kinds of Kool-Aid or Gatorade for the same effect!
Need more boozy popsicles? Try my red sangria popsicles to help you cool off!
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Red, White and Blue Boozy Popsicles
Boozy popsicles are all the rage now. But for real frozen cocktails, use dry ice ice to make these Red, White and Blue Boozy Popsicles.
Ingredients
- 8 lb dry ice, broken into pieces
- ยฝ cup Rose's Blue Raspberry Cocktail Mix
- 1 ยฝ cup vodka, divided in thirds
- ยฝ cup lemon-lime soda
- ยฝ cup cranberry juice
Instructions
- In a well insulated cooler, put 8 lbs dry ice, that’s been broken into pieces. Cover and store for later.
- In a bowl mix together Rose's Blue Raspberry Cocktail Mix and ยฝ cup vodka. Divide cocktail evenly into 12 2-oz plastic cups or popsicle forms.
- Cover cups with foil, cut a slit in the foil and place a popsicle stick in each cup.
- Place cups in the cooler, straighten out the popsicle sticks, and spread the broken chunks of dry ice with a wooden spoon. Do not touch the dry ice with your bare hands!
- Cover the cooler and store in a cool place. Wait until the cocktail has frozen, approximately 1 hour, before adding the next layer.
When the blue layer has frozen, mix together lemon-lime soda and ยฝ cup vodka. - Remove and discard foil from the cups and divide lemon-lime mixture evenly among the cups.
- Cover cooler and chill until frozen, about 1 hour.
- When the lime layer has frozen, mix together cranberry juice and last ยฝ cup vodka.
- Divide cranberry mixture evenly among the cups. Return to the freezer for another 1 hour.
- Approximately 5-10 minutes until ready to serve, remove popsicles from the cooler to allow them to warm a little.
- Gently twist and remove the popsicles from the cups.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Serving Suggestions:
Never touch dry ice with your fingers - you can burn them severely.
Keep your dry ice in an insulated cooler.
How long your dry ice lasts depends on how much you have, so if you are making boozy popsicles for a party, buy the dry ice a few hours before your party.
Let the dry-ice boozy popsicles sit in the freezer or out in the open air to warm a little so your guests do not burn their tongues on the popsicles. Picture Ralph and the tongue stuck to the flag pole moment in "A Christmas Story."
Cooking Tips: The measurements used are approximate and do not need to be exact. You adjust the juice-alcohol ratio to your liking. Some layers may have gotten a splash or two more than the amount listed!!
This technique can be used with any alcoholic cocktail you want to serve frozen as a boozy popsicle.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1 popsicleAmount Per Serving: Calories: 95Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 6mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 0g
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OHhh! These sound like the perfect bbq treat!
I’ve never tasted or for that matter made boozy popsicles. Yours turned out great. Thanks for doing all the research and sharing what you learned.
Also thanks for being a part of the YBR:) Have a great holiday.
What a fantastic tip – I read the same thing about the percentage of alcohol to add to boozy pops. I’ve been itching to buy some dry ice from the “case” at a local store, but I didn’t have anything to use it for. Now I do! I hope you’ll drop by and share these beauties with my Summer of the Popsicle (http://www.girlichef.com/2012/05/summer-of-popsicle-2012.html). Found you through YBR ๐
Very cool post. Someone just gave me some molds for popsicles, so of course I’m itching to use them. Boozy pops sound swell. I know I’ll go the dry ice route, but I really want to play with the liquid nitrogen! (Boys and their toys, you know.) Great read – thanks.
I’ve been meaning to make Popsicle but haven’t had a chance yet! I love the tri-color vodka popsicle! I think adults will be very happy camper with this!
Those cocksicles look like fun! I’m going to have a party and invite you to bring some! ๐
This is a terrific idea, Laura, and you should really market your recipe and tips. It’s the perfect summer holiday treat. Very creative!
What a fun and festive idea for the 4th!