I was on CTV Ottawa Morning Live this morning showcasing these two upscale frozen cocktails. Given that we would be in peak Fall Fair season were it not for the current global health crisis, I thought it would be fun to create adult takes on some of my favourite Fall Fair treats.
These two icy cocktails go well beyond your standard frozen blender drink and are guaranteed to dazzle your guests as they deliver great flavour while playing into a bit of nostalgia of a charmed childhood.
First up: Cucumber Gin Popsicles.
Cucumber Gin Popsicles
Cucumber and gin are a match made in heaven, especially when you reach for a classic like Sipsmith London Dry Gin with its rounded juniper profile and zesty citrus notes. You’ve probably seen a cocktail made with gin, cucumber and a sprig of mint on pretty much every cocktail menu at bars and restaurants in the past 5 years.
Since I hate to be predictable, instead of coming up with something called the “Garden Lady” and serving this in a pretty little coupe, I’m freezing this fresh concoction into my adorable vintage-inspired metal popsicle molds!
These adults-only popsicles are the final word in summertime refreshment.
- 6 oz simple syrup
- 6 inches cucumber, roughly chopped
- 6 mint leaves
- 6 oz Lillet Blanc
- 3 oz Sipsmith London Dry Gin
- 9 oz sparkling water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
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Combine all ingredients except sparkling water in a blender. Blend until puréed. Stir in sparkling water.
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Using a vegetable peeler, peel a ribbon of cucumber and place it into popsicle mold, pushing it against the side of the mold, down the centre, to create a strip of green down the middle of the finished popsicle.
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Stir boozy contents until well-combined, otherwise cucumber and mint will all float to the top, pour into popsicle molds, leaving 2mm of headroom in each. Add bottoms/popsicle sticks.
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Freeze for four hours before serving.
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Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stirring occasionally, simmer until sugar is dissolved. Let cool to room temperature before using.
Snowcone Sophisticate
Next up we have the Snowcone Sophisticate. As you may recall, I created this recipe for the 3rd Annual Mionetto Cocktail Competition and this recipe earned me a place in the final round as one of the top 10.
This cocktail is a fun inversion of the usual Snowcone formula. Instead of topping off unflavoured ice with a saccharine syrup in bright blue, I’ve created a flavoured ice in the form of a Honeydew Pisco Granita and topped it off with Prosecco.
The beautiful thing about this drink is that by molding the granita into a mini bundt mold (or you could use a small ramekin) the ice will melt slowly, making every sip slightly different. If you finish off the Prosecco before the granita is fully melted, just top it up again and see how the flavour continues to evolve!
- 1/2 cup molded Honeydew Pisco granita
- 4 oz Mionetto Prosecco
- 1 mint leaf
- 3 cups fresh honeydew chopped
- 1/2 cup simple syrup
- 1/2 cup pisco
- 3 oz lime juice
- 1 tbsp fresh mint packed
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Place molded honeydew pisco granita in a chilled coupe glass. Top with Mionetto Prosecco.
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Spank one mint leaf and place on top of the granita. Serve.
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Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into 6 individual mini-bundt molds, each 1/2 cup capacity. Freeze until solid.
I hope you’ll find an opportunity to try this cool treats and savour one last taste of summer over the Labour Day Long Weekend before launching into Pumpkin Spice season!
