Summer Fun With Mint Julep Popsicles

By Richard Thomas

It’s that time of year when the mercury starts to soar and, especially if you are surrounded by them as we are in the South, you want to throttle the next climate change denier you meet, screaming “it shouldn’t be 93 degrees in May!” One way to handle both kinds of heat is with a cold, boozy treat, and that is where making a bourbon-based mint julep popsicle comes in. And yes, the whiskey will freeze once it is dissolved into a concoction like this one.

Note you will need one or more popsicle molds and popsicle sticks.

Ingredients
2 ½ cups water
1/3 cup bourbon
1 cup fresh mint
1 cup demerara sugar

Your first step is to make a syrup, just as if you were making mint juleps. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-to-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Take the pot off the stove, add the mint, stir, and let sit for about an hour. Remove the mint with a strainer, then stir in the bourbon. Pour the mixture into the popsicle molds, insert popsicle sticks, and then place the molds into the freezer for 12 hours. To help remove the popsicles for serving, run some hot water briefly over the mold.