Ok, I had to do it. I jumped on the booze popsicle bandwagon. I have been teased and tempted by these all over the web (evidence here, here, and here) since summer weather was but a mere twinkle in my eye. I resisted getting all DIY with it because (I have no clue why I thought this) they seemed a bit complicated. The good news is, there is nothing all that intimidating about mixing some stuff in a bowl and pouring it into popsicle moulds. It’s kind of how I feel about laundry. It’s my most despised chore, and yet all you have to do is dump in clothes and soap and walk away. Obviously there is something wrong with me.

But I digress… Mojitos are a real fave around my household so I thought I’d dive in to the ‘poptail’ trend with a classic mint/lime/rum combo. I used this recipe (which makes 10 popsicles) as a guide, and reduced all the ingredients by half. If you haven’t already, I would suggest picking up a popsicle mould, seems like the trend is here to stay! Keep on scrolling for my modified recipe, which makes 4 – 6 popsicles. Fair warning: there is some time needed for things to infuse/cool/freeze so plan accordingly for this little kitchen activity.

You’ll need:

  • 1 popsicle mould
  • 1 pack of wooden popsicle sticks (if your mould does not come with its own)
  • 20 – 25 large mint leaves
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/3 cup sugar (the original recipe called for white sugar, but I used Turbinado sugar, which is a coarse brown sugar that a chef slash Mojito master once gifted to me)
  • 1 cup white rum (I used Bacardi Limon)
  • 3/4 cup flattened club soda
  • 1/4 cup fresh squeeze lime juice (2-3 limes)

Now what?:

STEP ONE: you’re gonna make some mint-infused sugar

  • add mint leaves to a small pot with sugar and water
  • bring to a boil and stir until sugar dissolves
  • boil for 1 minute, then reduce to simmer for 3-4 minutes
  • take off the heat and leave to infuse for about 30 mins

    • strain and discard mint leaves, cool syrup in the fridge

STEP TWO: we’re getting to the good stuff

  • pour rum into a small pot and bring to a boil
  • once it starts to bubble, time it for precisely 2 minutes, then remove from heat and cool
  • to flatten club soda, leave it out in a wide-mouthed container in the fridge overnight, or for a speedier approach, take two glasses and pour the club soda back and forth between them for a few minutes and this should get rid of the fizz entirely
  • once all ingredients are room temp or cooler, mix everything (sugar syrup, rum, lime juice, flat club soda) together in a large measuring cup with a spout
  • pour in to popsicles moulds (being careful to leave some space at the top for expansion)
  • **BIG TIP** freeze popsicles for about 1.5 hrs before adding the popsicle sticks (so that they stay put)
  • continue to freeze for at least 6 hours (overnight if possible)

Woo hoo! You did it! Now kick back somewhere comfy and enjoy the boozy fruits of your labour.