Picture it, a hot, cloudless day in the summer, and you're just looking to beat the heat and enjoy a cocktail too. Enter, boozy ice pops. With any flavor or spirit at your disposal, the hardest part is deciding which alcoholic ice pop you want to try first.
Screwdriver Ice Pop
Who can argue the importance of Vitamin C with a healthy dose of Vitamin D?
Ingredients
- 1 ounce vodka
- 5 ounces orange juice
- Popsicle stick
Instructions
- In a popsicle mold, add vodka and orange juice.
- Gently wiggle to mix.
- Add popsicle stuck or popsicle mold stick.
- Freeze for approximately six hours or overnight.
Strawberry Daiquiri Ice Pop
Serve up a frozen and berry-forward spin on the classic and tasty daiquiri. If you're hosting a crowd, simply multiply the recipe by how many popsicle molds you have.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce white rum
- ¾ ounce simple syrup
- 1¼ ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
- 3 ounces strawberry puree
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add white rum, simple syrup, lime juice, and strawberry puree.
- Shake to mix.
- Pour into popsicle mold.
- Add popsicle stick or popsicle mold stick.
- Allow to freeze approximately six hours or overnight.
Boozy Grape Ice Pop
This recipe calls for fruit juices, but you can always puree fresh grapes with some berries to make this all the more refreshing and, you know, a little healthy.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce vodka
- 3 ounces grape juice
- 2 ounces white grape juice
Instructions
- In a popsicle mold, add vodka and grape juices.
- Gently wiggle to mix ingredients.
- Add popsicle stick or popsicle mold stick.
- Allow to freeze for approximately six hours or overnight.
Creamsicle Ice Pop
Channel a beloved popsicle flavor with this adult recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce vanilla vodka
- 2½ ounces orange juice
- 2½ ounces pineapple juice
Instructions
- In a popsicle mold, add vanilla vodka and orange juice.
- Gently wiggly to mix ingredients.
- Add popsicle stick or popsicle mold stick.
- Allow to freeze for approximately six hours or overnight.
Strawberry Shortcake Ice Pop
Anything can be made into a frozen dessert. And with the addition of alcohol, anything can be suitable for a party.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce strawberry liqueur
- ¼ ounce strawberry vodka
- 5 ounces coconut milk
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add strawberry liqueur, strawberry vodka, and coconut milk.
- Shake to mix.
- Pour into popsicle mold.
- Add popsicle stick or popsicle mold stick.
- Allow to freeze for approximately six hours or overnight.
Cosmo Ice Pop
If Carrie could've enjoyed her tart pink cosmo as a boozy popsicle with her girlfriends, she would've.
Ingredients
- ¾ ounce citron vodka
- ¾ ounce orange liqueur
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 4 ounces cranberry juice
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add citron vodka, orange liqueur, lime juice, and cranberry juice.
- Shake to mix.
- Pour into popsicle mold.
- Add popsicle stick or popsicle mold stick.
- Allow to freeze for approximately six hours or overnight.
Fuzzy Navel Ice Pop
Give peach some time to shine in this frozen version of the ever-so-tasty, fuzzy navel.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces peach liqueur
- 4½ ounces freshly squeezed orange juice
Instructions
- In a popsicle mold, add peach liqueur and orange juice.
- Gently wiggle to mix.
- Add popsicle stick or popsicle mold stick.
- Allow to freeze for approximately six hours or overnight.
Gin Rickey Raspberry Ice Pop
No one said you have to keep your alcoholic ice pops to simple flavors, and this recipe makes your next popsicle a tart and delicious experience.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce gin
- 2 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 ounce lime syrup
- 2 ounces club soda
- 2-3 raspberries
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add gin, lime juice, and lime syrup.
- Shake to mix.
- Pour into popsicle mold.
- Add club soda.
- Drop-in raspberries.
- Add popsicle stick or popsicle mold stick.
- Allow to freeze for approximately six hours or overnight.
Rum Punch Ice Pop
This recipe skips the grenadine you usually find in rum punch, but you can add a quarter to a half-ounce if that's something you can't live without in this tropical drink.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce white rum
- ½ ounce dark rum
- 2½ ounces pineapple juice
- 1¾ ounces freshly squeezed orange juice
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add white rum, dark rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, and lime juice.
- Shake to mix.
- Pour into popsicle mold.
- Add popsicle stick or popsicle mold stick.
- Allow to freeze for approximately six hours or overnight.
Blueberry Margarita Ice Pop
What quenches thirst better than water? An ice-cold margarita. You know what's even better? A blueberry margarita ice pop.
Ingredients
- ¾ ounce tequila
- ¾ ounce blueberry liqueur
- ¼ ounce orange liqueur
- 1½ ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
- 3½ ounces blueberry juice
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add tequila, blueberry liqueur, orange liqueur, lime juice, and blueberry juice.
- Shake to mix.
- Pour into popsicle mold.
- Add popsicle stick or popsicle mold stick.
- Allow to freeze for approximately six hours or overnight.
Bourbon Cherry Ice Pop
Enjoy your favorite bourbon cherry smash but as a frozen delight.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce bourbon
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 5 ounces tart cherry juice
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add bourbon, lemon juice, and cherry juice.
- Shake to mix.
- Pour into popsicle mold.
- Add popsicle stick or popsicle mold stick.
- Allow to freeze for approximately six hours or overnight.
Tropical Tequila Sun Rise Ice Pop
While this may not be the traditional tequila sunrise, as it uses watermelon juice and peach as the base flavors, it's definitely a boozy ice pop game changer.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces tequila
- 2 ounces watermelon juice
- 2½ ounces peach nectar
- ½ ounce orange juice
Instructions
- In a popsicle mold, add tequila and watermelon juice.
- Wiggle to mix.
- Allow to freeze for approximately four hours.
- In a cocktail shaker, add peach nectar and orange juice.
- Shake to mix.
- Add to popsicle mold to create second layer.
- Add popsicle stick or popsicle mold stick.
- Allow to freeze for approximately six hours or overnight.
French 75 Ice Pop
The club soda in this recipe does the heavy lifting in this frozen version of the bubbly cocktail, the French 75.
Ingredients
- ¾ ounce gin
- ¾ ounce prosecco
- 1¼ ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
- 3¾ ounces club soda
- Lemon slice and raspberry
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add gin and lime juice.
- Shake to mix.
- Pour into popsicle mold.
- Add prosecco and club soda.
- Drop-in lemon slice and raspberry.
- Add popsicle stick or popsicle mold stick.
- Allow to freeze for approximately six hours or overnight.
Lemon Drop Ice Pop
Some days, you can't be bothered to carefully balance a martini glass in your hand or trust your elbows not to spill anything. Thankfully, you have a frozen treat that perfectly recreates the lemon drop martini.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce lemon vodka
- ¼ ounce orange liqueur
- ¾ ounce simple syrup
- 1½ ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 ounces lemonade
Instructions
- In a cocktail shake
- r, add lemon vodka, orange liqueur, simple syrup, lemon juice, and lemonade.
- Shake to mix.
- Pour into popsicle mold.
- Add popsicle stick or popsicle mold stick.
- Allow to freeze for approximately six hours or overnight.
Party on a Stick Ice Pop
Like the color of streamers or balloons at a party, this carefully layered alcoholic ice pop is sure to get any party started, even if it's only a party of one.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce coconut rum, divided into thirds
- 1¾ ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1¾ ounces freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1¾ ounces tart cherry juice
Instructions
- In a popsicle mold, add the lime juice and a third of the rum.
- Allow to freeze for approximately two to three hours.
- Add orange juice and a third of the rum.
- Allow to freeze for approximately two to three hours.
- Add cherry juice and the remaining rum.
- Allow to freeze for approximately six hours or overnight.
Cuba Libre Ice Pop
This classic rum and cola cocktail hits the spot on the hottest of days, especially when you're soaking up some summer sun.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce rum
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 4½ ounces cola
Instructions
- In a popsicle mold, add rum, lime juice, and cola.
- Wiggly gently to mix.
- Add popsicle stick or popsicle mold stick.
- Allow to freeze for approximately six hours or overnight.
Piña Colada Ice Pop
The piña colada is already great frozen, so it's no surprise that this alcoholic ice pop has all the same great flavors.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce white rum
- 2 ounces cream of coconut
- 2½ ounces pineapple juice
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add white rum, cream of coconut, pineapple juice, and lime juice.
- Shake to mix.
- Pour into popsicle mold.
- Add popsicle stick or popsicle mold stick.
- Allow to freeze for approximately six hours or overnight.
Mojito Ice Pop
Give this ice pop a spin when you're in the mood for a mojito, but you can't be bothered by all the muddling.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce white rum
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 ounce mint simple syrup
- 1-2 fresh mint leaves
- 1 lime slice
- 3 ounces club soda
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add white rum, lime juice, mint simple syrup, mint leaves, and lime slice.
- Pour into popsicle mold.
- Add club soda.
- Add popsicle stick or popsicle mold stick.
- Allow to freeze for approximately six hours or overnight.
An Introduction to Freezing Alcohol
Different types of alcohol will freeze at different rates, amounts, and well as ratios with nonalcoholic ingredients. The golden ratio for freezing alcohol is 5:1. This is applicable to your alcohol that has a higher ABV, such as vodka, bourbon, rum, or tequila. In order for the alcohol to freeze, for each one part alcohol, you will need five parts nonalcoholic mixer. Bear in mind that anything particularly sugary will take a little bit longer to freeze, so avoid using more than a full ounce of anything sugar-forward, such as simple syrup, and allow your boozy popsicle to form in the freezer for a little longer. When using wine or prosecco, these ingredients are able to nearly completely freeze on their own but need a nonalcoholic mixer to bind them completely. Consider a ratio closer to 4:1 or 3:1 when using wines.
As you learn to craft your own alcoholic ice pops, start with your preferred spirit and then consider drinks you enjoy with that spirit or popular drinks with that spirit. An old-fashioned might be too boozy to properly freeze into an ice pop, but a whiskey smash will bring all those bourbon flavors together just as nicely. Aim for 3 to 4 ounces of a nonalcoholic mixer with minimal sugar, such as club soda, fruit juices, or freshly squeezed citrus juices. And don't forget to add a slice or piece of fruit to freeze into your pop for a built-in garnish.
A Cocktail as Cold as Ice
Once you get the hang of the ratio of alcohol to mixers, there's no cocktail or flavor combination out of reach. Whether you cruise through the ocean of tropical cocktails or hitch a ride to explore the land of classic cocktails as alcoholic ice pops, there's no telling where this world will take you.
