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Cold brew? Beer-sicles take it to new heights

Lemonade and lager have long been mixed.

The combo makes a refreshing, slightly sweet shandy. But it might be even better frozen on a stick in summer.

The same goes for stout and vanilla ice cream. If you can make a Guinness float, you could certainly make a Guinness popsicle – with a hint of cream and sugar to temper the bitterness of the beer.

And what about those fruity lambics? Why not combine them with fresh fruit – plentiful in summer – and freeze them, too?

These icy pops combine two favorite summertime refreshers: popsicles and beer.

That’s right: beer-sicles.

Or, popsicles for grown-ups.

Beer-tinged ice pops make for a refreshing and slightly sweet adult summertime treat. They’re not complicated to make – little cooking is required.

You don’t even need special molds. Old-fashioned, 3-ounce Dixie cups do the trick. And if you can’t find wooden sticks at your favorite grocery store, paper lollipop or cake pop sticks work just fine, too. (Insert them about an hour and a half into the freezing process, if using Dixie cups and not traditional molds.)

Do take time, though, to make and cool simple syrup: Boil equal parts sugar and water in a pan until the sugar is dissolved. It doesn’t take long, and it makes for better ice pops. Honey doesn’t freeze well, and sugar crystals don’t seem to completely dissolve in cold beer.

Citrus and other fruits – along with half-and-half or coconut milk – cut back on the bite. Add enough puréed cherries, raspberries, apricots or watermelon, and it’s almost impossible to detect the ale.

Just be sure not to serve them to the kids.

Lime-Lager Ice Pops

Adapted from thekitchn.com

Lime adds zing to these semi-tart beer-sicles that you can adjust to taste for sweetness. Serve them for a light dessert after spicy dishes such as fajitas, fish tacos or el diablo shrimp.

Juice of 2 or 3 limes

2 to 3 tablespoons of agave nectar

2 bottles or cans of pale lager, such as Corona Extra, Pacifico Clara or Trader Jose’s Premium Lager

Kosher salt for sprinkling, optional

Add lime juice and agave nectar to a large container with a pour spout, and stir to combine. Slowly pour in beer and stir gently to mix. Taste and adjust sweetness or tartness, as desired. Pour mixture into molds, leaving a little room at the top for expansion. Insert sticks and freeze until solid, about 5 to 8 hours. Unmold and transfer to a plastic bag for storage until served.

Note: This might be good with rosemary- or basil-infused simple syrup instead of agave nectar. (See related story for recipe.)

Yield: About a dozen, 3-ounce, Dixie-cup-sized ice pops

Shandy Ice Pops

Adapted from thebeeroness.com

Bright and citrusy, these semi-sweet ice pops would complement seafood dishes such as smoked haddock and corn chowder, haddock and chips, and crab cakes.

Juice from 3 Meyer lemons

Juice from 1 pink grapefruit

3/4 to 1 cup simple syrup

22 ounces of pale or golden ale or Hefeweizen

Add lemon and grapefruit juices and simple syrup to a large container with a pour spout, and stir to combine. Slowly pour in beer and stir gently to mix. Pour mixture into molds, leaving a little room at the top for expansion. Insert sticks and freeze until solid, about 5 to 8 hours. Unmold and transfer to a plastic bag for storage until served.

Yield: About a dozen, 3-ounce, Dixie-cup-sized ice pops

Note: Mix up your citrus to taste, perhaps trading a lemon or two for a couple of oranges or blood oranges.

Guinness Cream-sicles

Adapted from www.hgtvgardens.com

These ice pops capture the flavor of Guinness stout with added creaminess, sweetness and hints of espresso. For a nondairy option, use coconut milk.

4 cans of Guinness stout

3/4 cup half-and-half

3/4 to 1 cup simple syrup

Stir all ingredients together gently in a large container with a pour spout. Wait for foam to settle, skimming off any that might remain, and pour mixture into molds. Insert sticks and freeze until solid, about 5 to 8 hours. Unmold and transfer to a plastic bag for storage until served.

Yield: About three dozen, 3-ounce, Dixie-cup-sized ice pops

Cherry Lambic Cream-sicles

Adapted from a http://acozykitchen.com

For a nondairy option, use coconut milk in these sweet and creamy ice pops.

1 pound (about 4 cups) cherries, pitted

3/4 to 1 cup simple syrup

750 milliliters cherry lambic, or kriek

3/4 cup half-and-half

Add cherries to blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer cherry mixture to a large container with a pour spout and stir in simple syrup. Pour in cherry lambic and stir gently until well combined. Set aside until bubbles subside.

Fill molds with the cherry lambic mixture about ¾ of the way. Top off with a splash of half-and-half. Insert sticks and freeze until solid, about 5 to 8 hours. Unmold and transfer to a plastic bag for storage until served.

Note: Try this recipe with 2 ½ cups raspberries and framboise lambic instead of cherries and cherry lambic. Be sure to strain raspberry purée through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds before stirring in simple syrup.

Makes: About two dozen 3-ounce, Dixie-cup-sized ice pops

Apricot Ale Ice Pops

From Adriana Janovich

Fruit forward and refreshing, these are a new favorite.

1 pound apricots, pitted

3/4 to 1 cup simple syrup

24 ounces unfiltered apricot wheat ale

Add apricots to blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer apricot mixture to a large container with a pour spout and stir in simple syrup. Pour in ale slowly and stir gently until well combined. Set aside until foam subsides.

Pour mixture into molds. Insert sticks and freeze until solid, about 5 to 8 hours. Unmold and transfer to a plastic bag for storage until served.

Makes: About one and a half dozen 3-ounce, Dixie-cup-sized ice pops

Basil and Lime Watermelon-Beer Ice Pops

Adapted from https://someoneleftthe cakeoutintherain. wordpress.com

These super-refreshing ice pops feature a delicate watermelon flavor. Basil and lime add depth.

1/2 watermelon, cubed

3/4 to 1 cup basil-infused simple syrup (see related story for recipe)

Juice of 1 lime

3 cans 21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon Wheat

In a food processor, pulse watermelon until it is smooth. To remove seeds, strain purée through a fine mesh sieve into a large container with a pour spout. Stir in simple syrup and lime juice. Add beer. Pour mixture into molds. Insert sticks and freeze until solid, about 5 to 8 hours. Unmold and transfer to a plastic bag for storage until served.

Note: The original recipe used mint-infused agave nectar.

Makes: About three dozen 3-ounce, Dixie-cup-sized ice pops