Make These Boozy Bloody Mary Popsicles for a Salty Summer Treat
Fruit is great and all, but have you ever had a cocktail as a popsicle?
The Bloody Mary, a perennial brunch beverage staple, is a chameleon cocktail. Which is to say, bartenders have been putting their own riffs on the classic for decades. Well, here’s another: popsicles. That’s right, a frozen cocktail—like, really frozen.
As that ball of fire in the sky blazes down upon us this summer, why merely drink your booze when you can have it in ice pop form? At least that’s what the folks at SuckerPunch Gourmet are wondering.
Founder David Van Alphen started his pickle company in 2011 and, later, it made perfect sense to add a vegan Bloody Mary—no anchovy undertone in this mix—to accompany his line of crunchy dill chips and bread and butters.
“David was a Bloody Mary nut,” says SuckerPunch CEO Alok Advani, “but he couldn’t find one with that nice consistency.” The viscosity he was hunting for—as the story goes for many recipes—was like the one his grandmother would make. Her secret was pureeing pickles into the Bloody Mary. And that’s exactly what he aimed to replicate in SuckerPunch’s Bloody Mary Mix.
The mix has just seven ingredients, or eight for the Bold & Spicy version that has hints of ghost pepper, which “gives a nice, solid heat,” notes Advani. Among those ingredients: pureed spicy garlic pickles for texture.
As is the adaptability of the Blood Mary itself, so, too is the popsicle. “When it comes to something like a popsicle, you wanna put your fingerprint on the party—whether it’s the lights you string up or the food you serve,” Advani says. You can riff to heart’s content. They’ve had success with Tito’s vodka, but any brand will do. You can make it Bloody Maria by using mezcal or tequila instead. Those skipping the booze altogether can swap in zero-proof spirits instead.
If you prefer to drink your Bloody Mary—wow, how conventional of you—then maybe this recipe for making one is your jam. And, yes, you can just simply buy some boozy popsicles and call it a day!
For the do-it-yourselfers, this one’s for you.
SuckerPunch Gourmet Bloody Mary Popsicles
Yield: Eight 3-ounce ice pops
Ingredients:
• 2 cups SuckerPunch Gourmet Bold & Spicy Bloody Mary Mix
• 4 ounces vodka, tequila, or non-alcoholic alternative of choice (or omit entirely)
• ¼ cup celery salt
Directions:
1. Combine Bloody Mary Mix and vodka. Pour into ice pop molds and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions; about five hours.
2. Remove from the molds and immediately sprinkle with celery salt. Re-freeze on a parchment-lined sheet tray for an hour before serving.
Note: Don’t add any more alcohol than this recipe calls for, or you’ll find yourself dealing with a slushy mess!