“I think in general people have the perception ice blocks are cheap treats,” says Karen Lavecky, maker of handcrafted popsicles and founder of “artisan pop” brands, Liana Raine and Paloma Pops. “We’re more health conscious, creative and adventurous these days and far more aware of what goes into our bodies and how our food is made.”
The icy poles Lavecky makes for Liana Raine are rather different to the convenience-store variety. They’re created using only seasonal ingredients, fresh juice, natural flavours – and alcohol. Beyond her regular icy pole range, Lavecky is part of a new wave of chefs, restaurateurs and bartenders fusing the frozen treat with quality cocktails.
“As an artisan producer, I’m passionate about quality and innovation,” says Lavecky. “I wanted to create a guilt-free treat that I would be excited to share with my friends. We believe in keeping it simple – premium produce, beautiful flavours and a lot of passion.”
Lavecky says she’s a big fan of working with gin, as the flavour translates well into a frozen form. “[Gins] are wonderful to use as they have a distinct botanical taste,” she says. Tasting gin at low temperatures also reduces its natural sweetness. “You have to take this into account when blending your flavours.”
Lavecky makes both alcoholic icy poles and regular pops (flavours include cloudy apple and passionfruit, salted coconut cream, spiced mango, and rhubarb, ginger ale and apple) for an increasing number of venues in Sydney. “I’ve definitely seen a trend of ‘Ice Pop Cocktails’ popping up on menus,” she says.
The options are endless. Keep the summer vibes going into autumn with Lavecky’s recipe for a favourite.
Karen Lavecky’s Icy Pole Cocktails
Makes approx. 30 icy poles. Approx. 1.3 standard drinks per icy pole.
Ingredients
360g raw sugar
1.045L water
175ml gin
10g basil
100ml lime juice
40ml icy pole moulds
Method
Heat the sugar and 720ml of water in a saucepan over a medium flame. Stir regularly until the sugar dissolves. Add gin and simmer on low heat for another three minutes. Remove the mixture from heat, stir in the basil and allow to cool. Refrigerate overnight.
Remove basil from syrup mix. Add lime juice and the rest of the water. Gently whisk until the ingredients have mixed.
Pour the mixture into moulds. If your moulds don’t have sticks, let the pops half-freeze (approximately 30 minutes), then place your sticks in the moulds and store in the freezer overnight.
To serve, place the moulds into a bowl of warm water, pulling lightly on the sticks until they release.
