BOOZESICLES™ Alcoholic Popsicles - Healthy, Homemade BOOZY ICE POPS

Have you seen those low calorie boozy "Vodka Martini" type ice pops showing up in Costco and other places?

They are a great idea for summer cocktail hour and parties; they're icy cold, refreshing and low ABV (alcohol by volume), which is very popular now and a good idea for hot temperatures. But, at only 100 ml. each (3.4 ounces), they're pricey and it will take a few of them to equal one typical cocktail. They sell for around 3 bucks each and are loaded with artificial coloring, flavoring and sweeteners. Furthermore, at less than 4 ounces each with an 8% ABV, how many would your happy hour guests slurp down at 3 bucks a pop?
You know what I say  about that? DIY BABY! You can have healthy, refreshing ice pops galore, and at a price that won't offend your wallet.
LET'S FREEZE SOME ADULT ICE POPS! Alcohol alone doesn't freeze at normal freezer temperatures but when you mix it with the right amount of non-alcoholic liquid that changes. I've found the formula that works the best is a 1 to 5 alcohol to mixer ratio, using a standard 40 proof spirit. This should give you approximately an 8% ABV ice pop. (Higher ABV spirits will require a higher mixer ratio to freeze, but standard vodka, rum, gin, tequila and whiskies are around 40 proof and some liqueurs even less.)
Each one of the 100 ml. (3.381 ounces) "vodka martini" pops are 100 calories. Homemade 100 ml. cocktail ice pops using fresh juices and purees will end up at or under 100 calories, BUT without the artificial sweeteners, flavors and colorings. If your mixer is tea or coffee that should be even lower. That gives you the same or a lower calorie count of the pre-packaged ice pops but without the artificial ingredients.
BINGO! HEALTHIER, HOMEMADE BOOZESICLE™ ICE POPS that are still low in calories and also meet the popular lower ABV cocktail trend! Because these cocktails are eaten, you can also use a fresh fruit puree instead of a juice and, because the puree includes all the pulp, each homemade ice pop is full of even more vital nutrients and fiber. Homemade alcohol infused ice pops are easy, a lot of fun to make and your choice of frozen cocktail flavors is endless.
Now I ask you, why shell out big bucks for their boring flavors when you can really punch up those ice popsicles for a lot less? Below are just a few of the flavors I came up with for this experiment. I've been chilling with fun ice pop cocktails all week and the rest are headed to a Fourth of July barbecue.*

The Martini Diva's BOOZESICLE™ ICE POPS
TOOLS Zipsickle style ice pop freezer bags. I ordered mind on Amazon. Mixing pitcher, shaker or glass. Funnel.
BASIC ICE POP DIRECTIONS 1. Add in 1 part of decent but reasonably priced 40% or less ABV spirit and/or liqueur. 2. Then add in at least 4 parts of a non alcoholic liquid like fresh juices or purees, tea, coffee, yogurt. Feel free to add in a splash of lime or lemon juice to brighten things up. 3. Freeze overnight.
I was not so concerned about calorie count as I was about creating healthy, delicious ice pops and used a few things like bitters for complexity and to balance sweetness. I also used homemade grenadine, flavored vodkas, cream of coconut and flavored yogurts to sweeten without adding sugar. However, the bitters were only a dash or two and have almost nil calorie count, the flavored spirits were already accounted for in the liquor ratio and the sweeteners like grenadine or cream of coconut were only around a teaspoon per pop.

MY BOOZESICLE™ FLAVORS (Remember the 1:5 Booze to Mixer Ratio!)
BERRYTINI: Fresh Blueberry Juice, Fresh Raspberry Juice, Homemade Grenadine, Strawberry Vodka
BLUE LEMON DROP: Fresh Lemon Juice, Vanilla Vodka, Blue Curacao
CAFFÈ  ICED LAIT: Coffee, Irish Cream Liqueur, Scrappy's Chocolate Bitters
CARAMEL APPLETINI: Caramel Vodka, Apple Pucker, Apple Juice
CHERRYTINI: Frozen Dark Cherries, Whipped Cherry Vodka
CREAMSICLE: Orange Vodka, Fresh Orange Juice, Vanilla Yogurt.
DREAMSICLE: Whipped Cream Vodka, Fresh Raspberry Puree, Vanilla Yogurt.
KEY LIME PIE: Key Lime Yogurt, Fresh Lime Juice, Whipped Cream Vodka
MELON: Fresh Cantaloupe Juice, Watermelon Vodka, Scrappy's Grapefruit Bitters 
PEACH MELBA: Raspberry Vodka, Peach Puree, Raspberry yogurt, Scrappy's Cardamom Bitters
PINÃ COLADA: Pureed Fresh Pineapple, Cream of Coconut, Coconut Rum
RAZZATINI: Raspberry Vodka, Cointreau, Fresh Raspberries
SOUR APPLE: Apple vodka, Apple Pucker, Apple Juice
SPICY WATERMELON: Watermelon Vodka, Watermelon Juice or Puree, Lime juice, Dash of Hot Sauce.
STRAWBERRY SUNDAE: Strawberry Vodka, Strawberry Puree and Vanilla Yogurt.
You can play with the flavors to suit your taste and just multiply the ingredients to make batches of the each flavor.
* I even made a pile of booze free ones for the children where I just left out the booze. I used some natural food colorings to make the kiddies ice pops in blues, purples and greens to make sure the parents could be sure no little ones got a buzz on.

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RASPBERRY COCKTAILS

If you're jonesing to put some berries in your cocktails raspberries are a great choice because they're bursting with delicious healthiness and luscious berry flavor. They also make for a very pretty pink or red drink if you need some color for your next cocktail party or event.
I happen to love raspberries as you will see by the sheer number of raspberry cocktail recipes I've managed to create and consume over the years. There's enough Raspberry Cocktail recipes here to cover the entire month of July, which just happens to be Raspberry Month.
RASPBERRY COCKTAILS   ANEURYSM COCKTAIL BEACH BUM TIKI COCKTAIL BERRY BLACK CAT COCKTAIL BERRY VALENTINE SHOOTER
CLOVER CLUB DRUNKEN ASTRONAUTFRENCH MARTINI HOMEMADE RASPBERRY LIQUEUR
 LADY ROSE COCKTAIL LOVE NOTION #9 CHOCOLATE PEACH MELBA BEER FLOAT PEACH MELBA MARTINI
PINK RIBBON MARTINIRASPBERRIES & CREAM MARTINI  RASPBERRY MARTINI
RASPBERRY CAKE COCKTAIL
RASPBERRY COLADA
RASPBERRY MINT MARTINI RASPBERRY SANGRIA RASPBERRY SGROPPINO RASPBERRY TARRAGON DAIQUIRIRASPBERRY TART COCKTAIL
RASPBERRY THYME MARTINI
 RASPBERRY TRIFLE MARTINI RAZPIROSKA RAZZED BLACKBERRY MARTINI  RCH BTCH MARTINI RED CARPET COCKTAIL
RED NOSE SLUSHY MOCKTAIL RED, WHITE & BLUEBERRY EDIBLE COCKTAILS
RED, WHITE & BOOZESICLES SEX ON THE BEACH MARTINI
SPARKLING RASPBERRY RESOLUTION MARTINI
SPARKLING SKELETON SANGRIA
SUNSET IN PARADISE MARTINI
THAT TRAMP STOLE MY MAN TARTINI
WHISKEY BERRY SMASH

ARCHIVED RASPBERRY COCKTAILS
RASPBERRY LIME MARTINI
RASPBERRY PARFAIT MARTINI
RAZZATINI

   Updated 8-2018 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY
 

The CLASSIC GIN MARTINI

What is a classic martini recipe? Ask a thousand people, you'll get a thousand different versions of the original martini recipe. Make no mistake, the real, classic martini is a gin martini. I don't mean to offend you vodka proponents (aka Kangaroo or VODKA Martini fans) but gin was the spirit used in the original martini way back in 1911 and is still considered essential to a "real" martini.

Folks will argue until doomsday about ratios of gin to vermouth, whether to stir or shake, over or up, liquor brands and every other single part of the cocktail and it's mixing process. The martini is such a very personal drink it's an age old debate at the bar.  But there's one thing about the vermouth ... if there's no vermouth at all it's not a martini. It's just gin. Got it?

Once upon a time I was not a true martini lover.  I loved the glass but I was not ready for gin. That has changed, a lot, and I happen to adore gin and gin cocktails these days, including the martini.  Gin and martinis are both acquired tastes. I have acquired them. I have also played around with the recipe myself quite a bit and love Dirty Martinis, Smoky Dirty Martinis and hundreds of cocktails I have designated as "designer martinis", but if someone asks me for a martini with no additional provisos below is the cocktail they will get.

The Classic

GIN MARTINI

INGREDIENTS

5 Parts Bombay Sapphire Gin

1 Part Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth

Garnish:  1 or 3 Honking Big Green Olives with Pimento (never 2 olives 🫒, it's bad luck!)

Tools: Mixing Pitcher, Hawthorn Strainer

Glass: Martini/Cocktail, of course

DIRECTIONS

Chill the gin, chill the glass, chill the pitcher. The vermouth should already be in the fridge!

Fill a chilled mixing pitcher with filtered ice.

Pour in the gin.

Pour in the vermouth.

Stir 20 times.

Strain into your chilled glass.

Garnish with 3 honking green pimento olives.

VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:

VARIATIONS ON THE MARTINI

50/50 MARTINI - equal parts gin and dry vermouth with a dash of orange bitters.

BURNT MARTINI - a splash of smoky scotch is added.

DIRTY MARTINI - Olive brine is added.

DRY MARTINI - less vermouth, typical ratio of 6 parts gin/1 part vermouth.

EXTRA DRY - there will only be a tiny splash of vermouth or the glass is washed in vermouth before pouring in cold gin.

FILTHY MARTINI - A Dirty Martini but caper brine and caperberry garnish instead of olive.

GIBSON - martini with an onion.

GIMLET - lime juice replaces the vermouth.

PERFECT MARTINI - both sweet and dry vermouth in equal ratios.

MARTINEZ - possibly the daddy of the modern martini?

SMOKY - scotch instead of gin.

SMOKY DIRTY - my dirty Martini with SMOKED olives!

SWEET or ORIGINAL MARTINI ‐ sweet vermouth replaces dry vermouth and a bit of simple syrup and orange bitters are added. 

TEQUILA MARTINI - tequila replaces the gin.

VESPER - NOT a martini, apologies to 007 and Ian Fleming, but NOPE.

VODKA MARTINEZ - just because I tried it out and it was pretty good. Also not a martini.

VODKA MARTINI aka Kangaroo - vodka instead of gin. Also not a "Martini".

WET MARTINI - More vermouth than normal, typical ratio of 3 part in/1 part Vermouth.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A MARTINI WITHOUT VERMOUTH. IN THE INDUSTRY WE CALL THAT GIN.

 That. Is. All.

Updated 9-2021

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The NEGRONI

“I think the Negroni is the perfect cocktail because it is three liquors that I don’t particularly like. I don’t like Campari, and I don’t like sweet vermouth and I don’t particularly love gin. But you put them together with that little bit of orange rind in a perfect setting… It’s just: It sets you up for dinner, in a way it makes you hungry, sands the edges off the afternoon. In an after dinner, it’s settling. It is both aperitif and digestive. It’s a rare drink that can do that.” 

~ Anthony Bourdain

The

NEGRONI

INGREDIENTS

Equal parts:

Campari

Gin

Sweet Vermouth

Garnish: Orange Twist or Slice

Glass: Old Fashioned

DIRECTIONS

Stir ingredients with ice in  a cocktail pitcher then strain into an ice filled Old Fashioned glass, garnish and serve.

VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:

Negroni Week is Sept 14th - September  20th.

June 25th is Bourdain Day, Anthony Bourdain's Birthday,  If you plan to toast Mr. Bourdain on his birthday THIS is the cocktail you should be drinking.

GET THIS COCKTAIL RECIPE DESIGN ON TEES & CLOTHING, POSTERS, PARTY ACCESSORIES, STICKERS & CARDS:

🔸️🔸️🔸️🔸️

Updated 9-2021

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The Sex And The City RUBY COCKTAIL Recipe

There are tons of Ruby Cocktail recipes floating around in cocktail land including, but not limited to:

1) a gin, grenadine and applejack recipe similar to the Prohibition era Pink Lady cocktail,

2) a rhubarb-infused vodka with simple syrup and fresh lime created by Vanessa Bortnick of Harry Denton's Starlight Room in San Francisco,

3) Tony Abou-Ganim's vodka, elderflower and Aperol version, and

4) The SATC Ruby.

The Sex and The City version of the Ruby Cocktail was created by the Florida Citrus Commission to boost sales of Florida grapefruit. To further encourage grapefruit sales the recipe was proposed to the creators of SATC as a replacement for the what had been the signature drink of Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda, the Cosmopolitan. The producers liked the idea and the SATC Ruby made its debut in Season 4's Episode 12 "Just Say Yes". Eventually, the more widely recognized Cosmo made it back as the SATC signature drink in following episodes (as well as the first Sex And The City movie) and the Ruby went into the same sitcom oblivion as the flock of discarded SATC paramours.

It's really too bad The Ruby didn't stick around because I personally prefer the fresh ruby red grapefruit juice spiked with citrus vodka over the ubiquitous cranberry, vodka and lime Cosmopolitan.

The SATC

RUBY COCKTAIL

INGREDIENTS

6 Oz Fresh (Florida) Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice

3 Oz Citrus (Absolut Citron) Vodka

Garnish: Sugar Rim, Grapefruit Twist

Tools: Cocktail Shaker

Glass: Large (10 ounce) Martini/Cocktail

DIRECTIONS

Shake ingredients with ice, strain into the sugar rimmed, chilled glass then garnish with a grapefruit twist and serve.

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GRAPE COCKTAILS

I loved grape juice, grape soda and grape candy as a kid.  As an adult I kind of left them behind because they were too sweet. Then, one day, I discovered that adding booze fixed that problem.
Now I have a tidy little list of fun grape flavored cocktails and I get to feel like a kid again, only with a little buzz.

GRAPE
COCKTAILS
BLACK WIDOW HALLOWEEN MARTINI
GRAPE BASIL MARTINI
GRAPE BOOZE-SICLES
GRAPEFUL DEAD MOJITO
NEVERLAND COOLER 

PURPLE HAZED MARTINI
SPARKLING GRAPE MARTINI
STONED TEQUILA SUNSET
TRANSYLVANIAN HALLOWEEN MARTINI
WATERMELON GRAPE MARTINI
WHITE GRAPE MARTINI

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MEMORIAL DAY COCKTAILS

Memorial Day (or Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering the people who died while serving in the country's armed forces.

It is also recognized in the U.S. as the beginning of summer, most likely because it was traditionally the day the school year ended. Currently we celebrate Memorial Day on the last Monday of May with the Memorial Day celebrations occurring on the weekend just ahead of that.

For me that means, after honoring those among my friends and family who served and sacrificed, sharing the weekend with my remaining family and friends and having a cookout with some refreshing summer cocktails. It is also my signal to start crafting cocktails made with all the lovely, fresh produce and herbs that become abundant in summertime. Over the years, I have created quite a list of original drink recipes perfect for the long, hot days of summer and I've included links to some of my favorites below, as well as some some of the best warm weather drink categories and flavors to keep you cool from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

SOME OF MY FAVORITE

SUMMER LIBATIONS

APRICOT LAVENDER BOURBON
BLACKBERRY and BLACKCURRANT GIN & TONIC
BROWN SUGAR PEACH MINT JULEP
CANTALOUPE DAIQUIRI
COCONUT DAIQUIRIS
CUCUMBER GIN & TONIC
DRUNKEN BABY DOLE PINEAPPLE WHIPS
GRILLED PINEAPPLE MOJITO
MIND YOUR P'S & Q'S MOJITO
PALOMA
PEACH MELBA BEER FLOAT
PIMM'S BERRY CUP
PINEAPPLE PISCO SOUR
PRICKLY PEAR OLD FASHIONED
STRAWBERRY PINA COLADA
THYME FOR A LEMON CHERRY SLING
WHISKEY PEACH SMASH


SUMMER DRINK

CATEGORIES
DAIQUIRIS
ICE CREAM COCKTAILS
MARGARITAS
MOJITOS

SUMMERTIME

COCKTAIL FLAVORS
APRICOT COCKTAILS
CHERRY COCKTAILS
CUCUMBER COCKTAILS
LEMON COCKTAILS
MELON COCKTAILS
PEACH COCKTAILS
PEAR COCKTAILS
STRAWBERRY COCKTAILS
WATERMELON COCKTAILS

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