I’m sure we all have memories of growing up eating cold, fruity popsicles in the summer heat with our friends. There’s nothing more refreshing than a tasty popsicle paired with a fun day at the lake or pool. What could make it even better? Alcohol, of course!

Have you ever had a margarita infused popsicle? While reminiscing about childhood nostalgia is great and all, we’ll take adult popsicles over the regular kind any day. Although alcohol infused products like sorbets and popsicles aren’t a new fad, they are making a major comeback with the Rancho La Gloria frozen cocktail popsicles. Known for their bottled Margaritas, Palomas and Wine cocktails, Rancho La Gloria’s newest addition is their alcoholic popsicles. The delectable flavors come in:

• Lime

• Strawberry

• Mango

Rancho La Gloria prides itself on its 100% naturally derived blue weber agave in every product. Made in the desert of Mexico, these products are sure to make you feel like you are on vacation.

How are they made?

The process of making alcohol infused popsicles is fairly easy. The steps are simple:

1. Select your favorite kind of juice

2. Select your preferred alcohol and determine how boozy you want them

3. Combine the juice and liquor in popsicle molds or deep ice trays

4. Cover the tray with plastic wrap and push popsicle sticks or toothpicks into every popsicle-to-be—the cling film will hold them in place as the ice freezes.

5. Place them in your freezer for around 4 hours and, voila! They’re ready to enjoy.

You can jazz up your popsicles by adding frozen fruit, like strawberries, raspberries, mango or papaya. Or, for an even more unique popsicle, add in your favorite chewy candy, like gummy bears, Swedish fish, or mochi.

The rise of alcohol infused products like sorbets, popsicles, milkshakes and cupcakes are just a few of the hundred ideas of delicious, boozy infused foods. While cooking with alcohol is a very popular method in the culinary world, much of the alcohol in recipes cook out, nullifying the effects of the liquor, but the flavor remains. When infusing alcohol into cold products, like ice cream or popsicles, the process requires no actual ‘cooking’. This means the alcohol’s effects are not compromised, thus the ABV (Alcohol by volume) levels remain the same as they were in the bottle. Taking this fact into consideration is crucial when determining the ratio of how much liquor to juice, milk, baking recipe etc. you select.

Another component of infusing alcohol into sweet treats is finding the right flavor pair. All alcohol has its own flavor profile with a variety of unique notes specific to the liquor. These notes need to blend well with the flavor of whatever you’re making. For instance, warm drinks utilizing ingredients like vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon pair well with bourbon, fireball, and rum. Sweet treats that are icy, like popsicles, ice cream, and blended smoothies, are better paired with vodka, tequila and whiskey. When selecting a recipe and what alcohol to use in it, remember that the two should balance one another out, enhancing the complimentary flavors, so the alcohol won’t get lost amongst the added sugar and spices.

Spiked food and beverages are not necessarily new to most consumers, but there are always plenty of new ways to experience them. Rancho La Gloria’s new flavored popsicles are sure to be a crowd pleaser at your next summer get together. Whether DIY infused popsicles and baked goods pique your interest, or a case of Rancho La Gloria’s popsicle variety pack is more your style, place your order for store pick up today!