I am not a drinker. At all. I actually am really allergic to alcohol and have never managed more than a glass of wine in my life. So why would I make alcoholic popsicles? One of the first recipes I ever posted on my blog was for a blackberry sage cooler and I got a ton of comments requesting an alcoholic version. So I thought a cocktail version in popsicle form would be a great place to see if I could indulge a little without the fear of breaking out in hives.
I was really happy with the way these turned out. Adding alcohol to popsicles will give them a softer texture than you are used to since the alcohol has a lower freezing point. These are really refreshing and have just enough booze in them to give them a little kick. You could easily make these into a virgin popsicles by replacing the vodka with an equal amount of sparkling water. Now that the weather is starting to warm up I can’t wait to experiment with some other grown up versions of my favorite treats!
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- 7-8 sage leaves
- 1½ cups fresh or frozen blackberries
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ cup vodka
- ½ cup sparkling water
- Make the simple syrup:
- In a small saucepan combine the sugar, water and sage leaves. Bring to a simmer and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
- If using frozen blackberries let them sit at room temperature until they have thawed.
- Combine the blackberries, lemon juice, vodka, sparkling water and ½ cup of the sage simple syrup in a blender. Process until the mixture is smooth. If desired strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve.
- Taste the mixture for sweetness and add more simple syrup if desired. (The mixture will be slightly less sweet once it is frozen so keep that in mind.)
- Pour the mixture into popsicle molds and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Insert sticks into the molds and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
- To unmold place the mold in warm water for 20-30 seconds to help release the pops.
I’m always up for a boozy popsicle (well, actually, a boozy ANYTHING) and these look great, blackberries are the best!