Stir & Strain

Caña Brava rum

Classic Daiquiri Popsicles

by Leave a Comment

Classic Daiquiri Popsicles // stirandstrain.comI know, I know… “classic Daiquiri” is not usually in popsicle form, but since I’ve committed to bringing all of you more boozy popsicles this summer, you’ll just have to give this to me. And since today is National Daiquiri Day I thought, why not? The “classic” flavors found in a Daiquiri: rum, lime, and sugar are so delicious in frozen form (and trust me, I know a thing or two about frozen Daiquiris. See here, here, and here.). And it’s super simple!

Classic Daiquiri Popsicles // stirandstrain.comI really enjoy the floral sourness of limes, and here I wanted these to be extra… well, lime-y, so I zested a whole lime and added that into the mix in addition to adding a lime wedge to each popsicle. It gives the popsicle an extra punch of flavor, which is important when you’re dealing with frozen drinks/treats. Flavors tend to dull a bit when they are very cold, so you need to compensate for that.

Classic Daiquiri Popsicles // stirandstrain.comNow, I will say that proportion wise, this isn’t really a classic Daiquiri, as you can only add a small amount of rum to each popsicle in order to get a good freeze. Otherwise you’re looking at a slushy on a stick, which is really just a mess on your clothes. The base of these is more of a limeade with a touch of rum, but since all of the flavors are still in the realm of Daiquiri… I get get to call them Daiquiri popsicles.

Classic Daiquiri Popsicles // stirandstrain.comAnd now you get to make some!

Classic Daiquiri Popsicles

Makes 5 3-1/2 ounce popsicles

2-1/2 ounces white rum (I used Caña Brava here but sadly it is going away so use your favorite white rum)
1/2 cup lime juice, from 4-5 limes
3-3/4 cups water, divided
1/2 cup sugar
zest from one large lime
5 thin lime wedges

  • Pour the rum and lime juice into a large mixing glass with a spout.
  • Next, in a small saucepan, combine 3/4 cup of water and sugar. Heat until almost boiling, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. Once sugar is completely dissolved, remove from the heat.
  • Pour sugar syrup into mixing glass and add in zest. Stir to combine.
  • This recipe uses a lay-flat popsicle mold, so lime wedges are placed in the molds and then each mold gets 3-1/2 ounces of the mixture. If you are using the standing molds, place lime wedges at bottom and pour mixture in.
  • Freeze for 18-24 hours until solid. Then remove from molds and enjoy!

Classic Daiquiri Popsicles // stirandstrain.com

Mary Pickford Cocktail (Tiki in disguise)

by 5 Comments

Mary Pickford Cocktail // stirandstrain.com

Let’s begin this post by acknowledging that this darling cocktail is not one of my originals (in case you didn’t know). However, in the buzz surrounding Oscar weekend, I thought I’d bring out a classic. Do we need to start with who Mary Pickford is? Mary Pickford won the first best actress Oscar for a “talkie” in 1930. Considered “America’s Sweetheart”, this cocktail, created by Eddie Woelke, borders on the fun and fruity side.

In fact, it’s really just a Tiki drink in disguise. Seriously guys.

A lot of rum, some pineapple, a touch of grenadine… so far all of this works. Maraschino liquor? Sure, that can work too. Give it a grand garnish and you’ve got yourself an afternoon sipper while you throw rubber darts at Ryan Seacrest on tv.Mary Pickford Cocktail // stirandstrain.com

2 oz. white rum, such as Caña Brava
1-1/2 oz. fresh pineapple juice
1/4 oz. grenadine, homemade preferred
barspoon maraschino liqueur, such as Maraska

pineapple wedge, lime wheel and cherry for garnish (and some edible gold stars if you got those hanging around too!)

In a shaker 2/3 filled with ice, add all ingredients and shake for 20 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

After one sip your mind goes straight to tropical. The grassy rum holds up next to the sweetness of the other ingredients while a tart pop rounds it out. Fresh pineapple juice is not as cloyingly sweet as out of the can, and here it’s just superior where you need that freshness to cut through the liqueurs. You only need just a small amount of maraschino, as a little goes a long way. Light and fruity, it’s a great starter drink for your afternoon.

Note: you may notice that this drink is not very pink like the other versions you might find. The reason being that maraschino syrup is not used, which is often dyed red. Maraska is clear in color, so your two coloring agents are the yellow from the pineapple juice and red from grenadine.