Pop-tails

Serve frozen cocktails at your next party such as Campassion, Pear and grappa, Sabra fruit and Limoncello, Watermelon and vodka.

By CHEF SHAI DUBLERO
Selection of frozen cocktails (photo credit: Courtesy of Piazza)
Selection of frozen cocktails
(photo credit: Courtesy of Piazza)
It’s too hot outside to drink anything that is not very cold. Try the following recipes for adult popsicles with alcohol.
They’re fun. And once you master the technique, you can create your own fanciful variations.
The following pops are made from fruit, sugar syrup and alcohol in a very precise ratio. You can use fresh fruit or good-quality canned natural fruit purees. Using readymade purees is easiest, since the fruit-sugar ratio is consistent. Fresh fruit will produce a more natural-tasting popsicle, but controlling the sweetness is more of a challenge.
Since the freezing point for both alcohol and sugar is low (minus 115º), it is imperative to maintain the alcohol level at no more than 10 percent, otherwise the popsicle will not freeze properly.
BASIC RECIPE AND METHOD
To make the syrup: Dissolve 1 cup sugar in ½ cup water brought to a boil in a saucepan, then let cool.
Make a larger quantity by multiplying the amounts and keep in the refrigerator.
To make the popsicle (suitable for all the recipes below): Puree the fruit using a food processor. For extra texture, leave some fruit lumps.
Add syrup and lemon juice to the fruit puree, balancing sweetness and tartness.
Add alcohol.
Transfer to desired forms and insert wooden sticks, available at art supply stores.
For a more festive look, layer the pops using purees of varying colors.
Campassion ✔ 1 cup passion-fruit puree ✔ 3 Tbsp. orange juice ✔ 2 Tbsp. Campari ✔ 2 Tbsp. sugar syrup ✔ Juice of ½ lemon Pear and grappa ✔ 1 cup pear pureed with juice of ½ lemon ✔ 3 Tbsp. water ✔ 2 Tbsp. syrup ✔ 2 Tbsp. grappa
Sabra fruit and Limoncello ✔ 1 cup chopped sabra fruit (chop with a knife, not in the food processor) ✔ Zest of 1 lemon ✔ 1 Tbsp. syrup ✔ Juice of ½ lemon ✔ 5 mint leaves, chopped ✔ 2 Tbsp. Limoncello
Watermelon and vodka ✔ 1 cup + 2 Tbsp. pureed watermelon ✔ 1 Tbsp. syrup ✔ 2 Tbsp. Feigling or other vodka
Mango and vodka ✔ 1 cup pureed mango ✔ 2 Tbsp. water ✔ 1 Tbsp. syrup ✔ 2 Tbsp. vodka
All the recipes were created by chef Shai Dublero of the Piazza restaurant and bar. Piazza brings Italy to Tel Aviv, offering authentic experiences in the different areas: an open kitchen trattoria, a paved outdoor piazza and an intimate wine bar. The menu, created by Dublero, is based on classical Italian cuisine, offering freshly baked breads and pizzas, pastas, Italian cheeses and wines and weekend brunches.Piazza, 99 Dizengoff Street, Tel Aviv. Tel: (03) 527-4488 Photos courtesy of Piazza