Boozy Strawberry Basil Ice Pops

Author & Photographer: Fiona Lu

With summer coming to a close, I decided that the perfect way to top it off would be to craft a cool and refreshing tipsy treat. And since a cold glass of lemonade is an easy summer classic, I decided to spice up the recipe by bringing in more flavors and turning it into a fruity frozen fiesta. For this recipe, I researched various ways to make strawberry basil lemonade online and added my own choice of alcohol, pink moscato, to complement the drink’s tart red berry flavors. A benefit of using moscato: a lower alcohol proof will be less inhibitory in the freezing process. 

Yield: 12 small ice pops; serves 4

Prep time: 30 min

Freeze time: 8 hours

Ingredients:

• ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

• ½ cup water

• ¼ cup sugar

• 2 cups Sutter Home Pink Moscato

• 8-10 sliced strawberries

• ⅓ cup fresh basil

• Ice pop molds

Instructions:

1. Juice the lemons and transfer the juice to a large bowl or pitcher.

2. Add the sugar and moscato and stir until sugar is fully dissolved.

3. In a blender, purée the strawberries, basil, and water.

4. Blend until basil is finely chopped and strawberries become a purée.

5. Add in the moscato lemonade mixture and continue blending for a few seconds.

6. Pour the contents through a strainer into your ice pop molds, leaving ¼ inch of room at the top as the popsicles will expand as they freeze.

7. Add remaining sliced strawberries and basil leaves to molds for garnish. 

8. Place molds to freeze for at least 8 hours, or overnight. 

9. Remove from molds and enjoy!

10. Optional: If you are having difficulty removing the popsicles, prepare a bowl of warm water to dip your molds into prior to removal.

Overall, this recipe was a huge success and very simple to make. The vibrant fruity notes of the moscato added a layer of complexity and sweetness to the ice pops, making them the quintessential summer cocktail treat. The lemon juice creates a tartness that gives the flavor a jolly rancher semblance. It was a little too sour for my taste so it could do with less lemon juice next time. However, the basil balances out this tartness nicely with a fresh herbal essence. To top it all off, the strawberry, basil garnish made for a beautiful presentation that adds an upscale touch to this homemade snack.