Summer has well and truly arrived, and we’re all panic-ordering fans and buying what’s left of the ice at the local corner shop in an effort to stay cool. But there’s a much chicer way to get by in the heat – and it’s something you can easily do at home.

The answer? An alcoholic ice lolly. Because what better way is there to cool down on a hot day than creating a frozen version of your favourite cocktail? 

And as the author of five cocktail recipe books, including With Alcohol Anything Is Popsicle and Gin Made Me Do It, Jassy Davis knows a thing or two about making a good drink. This is why we’ve turned to her to help us beat the heat – and seriously impress the next time we have friends over has – by sharing five of her favourite alcoholic ice lolly recipes and some expert advice to ensure you get the best results every time.

Including a solid take on the piña colada and a crowd-pleasing iced gin treat, there’s a little something for everyone…

Most of the recipes require simple syrup, which you can make easily at home. It’s a mixture of granulated sugar and water that will add extra sweetness to your ice lollies. Here’s Jassy’s recipe for making 500ml of simple syrup:

Ingredients

• 250g granulated sugar
• 250ml water

Method

Tip the sugar into a pan and pour in the water.

Set the pan on a medium-high heat and bring to the boil without stirring.

Once the pan is boiling, set your timer for two minutes.

After two minutes, take the pan off the heat and let the syrup cool.

Transfer to a sterilised jar or tub, seal and store in the fridge for up to a month. 

Freeze your lollies as soon as possible

The faster you freeze your ice lollies, the smoother the texture will be. “When lollies freeze slowly, big ice crystals can form which clump together and form big, bland icy patches in your ice pops,” says Jassy. 

To make sure your lolly has a smooth, even texture, ensure the lolly mixture is cold when you pour it into the moulds and freeze it in the coldest part of your freezer – normally the bottom shelf or drawer. If your freezer has a blast free function, switch that on, and try not to open your freezer too often. 

The longer you can keep the temperature in your freezer stable, the faster the lollies will freeze.

Make your ice lollies sweeter than you’d think

Freezing dials up some flavours, and dials down others. “Sweetness is one of the flavours that is muted by the freezing process, which is why you need to make your lolly mix much sweeter than seems reasonable,” says Jassy.

As the mixture freezes, the sweetness will mellow out. Most lolly mixtures use simple syrup, but you can try swapping in all sorts of liquid sweeteners, such as honey, agave syrup or maple syrup. Just don’t stint on it.

You don’t need fancy ice lolly moulds

You don’t need to buy special lolly moulds to make ice pops. Small plastic cups are perfect for making lollies – just add your mix, freeze for a couple of hours till slushy, then insert wooden lolly sticks and freeze till solid.

Dip the cups in a little room temperature water to un-mould the lollies. You can rinse and reuse the cups or, if you don’t want to use plastic, you can use glasses. Ice cube trays are great for making mini ice lollies.

Don’t use too much alcohol in your ice lollies

A little alcohol goes a long way in an ice lolly. Firstly, because alcohol has a very low freezing point and your freezer at home probably won’t reach it. “This means boozy ice lollies will always have a softer texture than non-alcoholic ones, and if you put too much booze in your lolly mixture it will never freeze – you’ll just end up with slush,” says Jassy. 

Secondly, because the freezing process dials up the flavour of alcohol, you can end up with quite harsh tasting lollies if you add too much booze. “Generally, one or two tablespoons of a spirit like vodka, gin or tequila is enough for six to eight ice lollies,” says Jassy. 

Layer the flavours in your ice lollies

“One way to make your ice lollies extra impressive is to layer different flavours,” says Jassy. Start by pouring in your first layer and freezing it for two or three hours till slushy, then pour in the next layer and insert the lolly sticks – making sure they’re firmly anchored in the slushy layer. Freeze and continue till you’ve added all your layers. “It’s especially great if you want to pull out different flavours from a cocktail, like a negroni.” 

Start with a gin and simple syrup mix to make a clear layer, then add a sweet vermouth and orange juice layer, then a Campari and simple syrup layer to create three brightly coloured stripes with distinct but complementary flavours. 

“It’s a neat trick, and you can deconstruct all sorts of cocktails this way – mojitos, daiquiris, margaritas – they’d all be great pulled apart and put back together again in a lolly.”

Images: Getty