Liven up your summer with these Boozy Freeze Pops, a grown-up twist on a childhood classic. These easy, two-ingredient cocktails are made to chill — just mix, fill and freeze. They’re a fun way to stay cool on sweltering days by the pool, on the patio or at your next backyard hangout.
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About this Boozy Freeze Pops recipe
Growing up has its ups and downs, but one of the ups is enjoying childhood treats once in a while. Whether it’s a bite of a Fruity Pebbles treat or a sip of a Tootsie Roll shot, it’s extra fun to enjoy those throwback flavors as an adult. Nothing hits like nostalgia for that innocent age!
I have the fondest memories of my mom buying bundles of colorful, fruity freeze pops in the summer. I couldn’t wait for those packets of juice to turn into delicious popsicles in the freezer. So I decided to bring them back into my life, but in grown-up, adults-only form, and with more natural flavors — and I think you should too!
These Boozy Freeze Pops are super easy to make. You need two ingredients if you want to make just one flavor, but if you want to taste the rainbow, you’ll want a few more. I used different flavors of lemonade plus different spirits — vodka, rum, whiskey, tequila and gin. Stick to one alcohol or have fun making each flavor into a frozen cocktail pop all its own. You’ll also need freeze pop bags *, which you can easily find online.
More nostalgic recipes: Gummy Bear Shots • Dirty Shirley Temple • Snow Globe Cocktail
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Boozy Ice Pops are refreshing for cooling down on hot summer days.
- They’re made with real lemonade, so they taste more natural and aren’t overly sweet.
- Alcoholic freeze pops offer a fun, grown-up twist on a classic treat — without all the artificial colors.
Ingredients & equipment
First, you’ll need to pick up some freeze pop bags * online. I’ve never seen them in stores (but that doesn’t mean you can’t)! You can also make these in a regular popsicle mold, but the measurements might be a little off. These bags hold 4 ounces of liquid.
While you wait for them to arrive, pick out your flavors and alcohol options. You can use anything from fruit punch to Kool-Aid, but I went for different flavors of lemonade and a few different types of spirits. You know I love a homemade lemonade, but I used store-bought for these because it was way easier. If the lemonades aren’t very sweet, prep a batch of simple syrup to help sweeten them further.
How much should you buy? With four 52-ounce lemonades and one 750ml bottle of vodka (or whatever spirit you choose), you can make about 56 boozy freeze pops — just enough for a full batch of each flavor. One 52-ounce carton makes about 14 pops.
Flavor combinations
For the alcohol, you can pair the lemonades with different spirits or use the same for all. Be sure you are using about 80-proof alcohol (40% ABV). Alcohol freezes at a lower temperature than water, so it’s important to nail the ratio for these alcoholic ice pops.
You can have so much fun choosing flavors to make different boozy ice pops! (Isn’t part of the fun choosing one of the bright hues each time you grab one?) Here’s what I used for the ones photographed here:
- vodka & plain lemonade
- tequila & limeade (tastes like frozen margaritas!)
- rum & mango lemonade
- bourbon whiskey & peach lemonade
- gin & strawberry lemonade
- rum & blueberry lemonade
Watch your colors. Lemonade and limeade look virtually the same when frozen, and so did the peach lemonade and mango lemonade. Try to choose flavors that are easy to identify. Or, label each bag with a permanent marker before you fill them.
Other filling ideas
You also don’t have to make boozy popsicles with the combinations I made — feel free to be creative! Here’s some inspiration:
- Make other boozy popsicle recipes and use the freezer bags for the molds. My mojito popsicles and prosecco pops would both be totally genius.
- Fill the plastic tubes with your favorite classic cocktails (but be sure you’re sticking to ½ ounce alcohol for each one).
- Add fruit into the mix. Add fresh berries, herbs or lemon slices to level up the look.
- Skip the booze. This is a great idea, actually, if kids or non-drinkers will be in attendance. Just label them with a dot of permanent marker or add a sticker before filling them so you can tell them apart later. Make sure the adult freeze pops are stashed away from the kiddo ones, too.
Instructions
Putting these alcoholic popsicles together is very simple, but I have made these a few times and worked out all the kinks for you!
Start by pre-mixing your cocktails and work one color at a time. Unless you’re only planning to make one of each color, it’s better to mix up a bunch of liquid, then fill the bags.
Combine the lemonade and alcohol. Taste and, if needed, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons of simple syrup to balance tartness before pouring into molds and freezing.
I worked over a pint glass to collect any spilled water, but you could use a mixing bowl *. Insert a funnel * into the plastic bag, then pour in the prepared cocktail. Leave about ½ to 1 inch at the top, because 1) you still have to seal them and 2) the liquid expands slightly when frozen.
Tip: Don’t try to make them too boozy.
You’re aiming for about a 7:1 ratio of lemonade to alcohol for these frozen cocktails. This keeps the ABV (alcohol by volume) around 10%, which is freezer-safe and still cocktail-strength. This means they will still freeze yet taste boozy. If you add more alcohol than recommended, they may not freeze properly and will be more like a slushy pop, if they freeze at all.
If you start with a 52-ounce carton of lemonade, you can make about 14 boozy freeze pops using ¾ cup of alcohol (about a quarter of a standard 750ml bottle), leaving you plenty of booze left over for future batches or another flavor. If you want to make more than 14, then pick up other flavors and spirits to mix things up.
Then, seal the bag and repeat until you run out of liquid. Repeat with as many flavors as you wish! (I did six.)
Once all the bags are filled, pile them on a baking sheet * and stash it in the freezer overnight. Because of the alcohol component, they will take about 8 to 12 hours to freeze fully.
When you’re ready to enjoy, tear or cut the bags open below the zip top. The ones I used had little tear notches, but I found it easier to use kitchen shears *. My favorite way to hold them is to wrap them in a paper towel to avoid touching the frosty bags, but also to collect any drips.
Tips & tricks
- Stick to a 7:1 ratio of lemonade to 80-proof alcohol to ensure your freeze pops solidify and still taste like a cocktail.
- Consider labeling similar-looking flavors like lemon, lime, peach or mango to avoid mix-ups. Label any that are non-alcoholic too, or limit those to a specific flavor.
- Use a funnel * to neatly fill each bag, leaving a little space at the top so the liquid can expand as it freezes. Wipe any drips on the bag with a paper towel to avoid sticky hands later.
FAQ
To keep your boozy freeze pops solid in a standard home freezer, aim for no more than 10% alcohol by volume (ABV). This usually means using 1 part 80-proof (40% ABV) alcohol to 7 parts lemonade — or about ¾ cup alcohol per 52 ounces of liquid. If you go higher, your pops may stay slushy or not freeze at all.
If you want to keep things simple, choose one kind of alcohol and then choose flavors that go with that one. Vodka is a good choice — it’s crisp, and lets people taste more of the juiciness, not the alcohol. Here are some easy pairings you can try for your pops:
• Plain lemonade: vodka, gin or bourbon
• Strawberry or raspberry lemonade: vodka or gin
• Peach lemonade: bourbon or rum
• Mango lemonade: rum or tequila
• Limeade: tequila, rum or vodka
• Blueberry lemonade: vodka or gin
• Watermelon lemonade: tequila or vodka
• Blackberry lemonade: gin or bourbon
• Pink lemonade: vodka or rosé wine (for a low-ABV version)
• Fruit punch: rum or tequila (or vodka for a cleaner finish)
• Sweet iced tea: vodka or bourbon
• Orange juice: vodka or tequila
• Pineapple juice: vodka, rum or tequila
More frozen drink recipes
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Boozy Freeze Pops
ingredients
- 52 ounces lemonade or flavored lemonade, 1 store-bought carton
- ¾ cup alcohol 80-proof, such as vodka, rum, gin, tequila or bourbon
- 1 to 2 teaspoons simple syrup optional
instructions
- In a large pitcher or mixing bowl *, combine the lemonade and alcohol. Taste and, if needed, stir in simple syrup to balance the tartness.
- Insert a funnel into each freeze pop bag and fill with the mixture, leaving about ½ inch at the top to allow for expansion.
- Seal each bag and freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight.
notes
- Plain lemonade: vodka, gin or bourbon
- Strawberry or raspberry lemonade: vodka or gin
- Peach lemonade: bourbon or rum
- Mango lemonade: rum or tequila
- Limeade: tequila, rum or vodka
- Blueberry lemonade: vodka or gin
- Watermelon lemonade: tequila or vodka
- Blackberry lemonade: gin or bourbon
- Pink lemonade: vodka or rosé wine (for a low-ABV version)
- Fruit punch: rum or tequila (or vodka for a cleaner finish)
- Sweet iced tea: vodka or bourbon
- Orange juice: vodka or tequila
- Pineapple juice: vodka, rum or tequila
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