Summer to Fall - Poptail Crush
pop·tail
/päpˌtāl/
noun
an alcoholic drink consisting of a spirit or several spirits mixed with crushed fruit popsicles and other ingredients.
a frozen cocktail on a stick
Yep, I just coined that and the first meaning. The second usage has been around in colloquial kitchens since popsicle makers became a retail product, about last year.
Here is how I see it. All Summer you want things cold and frozen. There popsicles are perfect for them. Then, sets Fall, when it is not quite cold enough for hot toddys and certainly not warm for a brain freeze. Now, it is time for Poptails!
A poptail by my definition is a drink where the shaved ice pops form the base flavor of the drink. The fruit combinations are heady in of themselves and the already frozen concoctions draw out the flavor through the course of the drink. Unlike muddled fruit, they don't settle to the bottom but rise up effervescently as you sip along.
Clearly, then it helps to get the better quality ice pops. You can use whichever brand you like. I am not the kind to tell you which exact one to choose, especially since this is not a branded post! That said, if you really ask for my choice, I would say Brewla Bars (as you can see from the photos). They make their ice pops from fresh tea or coffee layered with fresh fruits. One would call them artisanal in their approach but I am shying from using that term that has become associated with hipsterdom and trendy rather than the craft. They are available in grocery stores around the country, so I suppose they are not so hard to find.
Anyway, whichever pop you swing towards, choose flavors that are bold and bright. Because half the fun of these drinks is in the bright cheer they represent! I find berries and peaches make amazing turn of Summer poptails paired with white spirits and light rums. As Fall deepens closer to Winter, coffee based ones mixed with Baileys or Kahlua would be amazing! I can imagine making a flask of that for Halloween!! ;-)
Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post. I genuinely love Brewla Bars and Greenhook Gin + Poptails are truly my original idea that I really, really think you should make. Because it is a post of love, I have sadly not been paid to write it.... Such is life!
Strawberry Gin Poptails
1 strawberry hibiscus popsicle (flavor from Brewla, use berry blased flavors from others)
4 oz gin
2 tsp lemon juice
soda water
lemon wedges
Shave half the popsicle into two frosted stemless martini-shaped glasses.
You can leave some of the popsicle in chunks for a slow melt and as flavored ice.
Add ice, gin and lemon juice.
Top with soda water and serve immediately with a twist of the lemon wedge.
