Bank Holiday Aldi Cocktails and Boozy Poptails
It’s been a beautiful few days in the UK, yesterday it hit 26 degrees in my garden, and this bank holiday weekend is looking like it is going to stay sunny. A perfect way to cool yourself down is by making some boozy ice lollies and cocktails. In moderation, of course! Aldi very kindly sent me the ingredients to make some perfect homemade summer cocktails… they made such good companions to a hot bank holiday weekend! I had to taste them all for the benefit of this blog post of course! 🙂
Cocktails
First was the watermelon caipirinha, including smushed up watermelon and rum. I wasn’t expecting it to taste good as there was A LOT of rum, but it was really nice, tasted a bit like a smoothie! The lemon and lime kick really makes the cocktail.
Pomegranate Champagne Poptail
These are so good, so so good. Quite a bit of effort here and you need to make them in advance.
The pomegranate needed to be deseeded, actually quite easy, you just cut it in half and whack it with a wooden spoon. Above a big bowl, as the juice stains things, like your clothes! The juice and sugar mix needed to be frozen for an hour, and then you add the pomegranate seeds, lemon and lime slice, champagne and freeze for 5 hours. Really very good and refreshing.
I only have 7 ice lolly moulds so I have to wait until I have eaten the pomegranate lollies before making the gin and tonic ones and we drank the Riesling wine before making that poptail!
Here are all the recipes for you to try out the cocktail and poptails yourself!
Mixed Berry Riesling Poptail (serves 8-10)
Ingredients
- 450g mixed berries (blueberries, redcurrants, raspberries or strawberries)
- 90g The Pantry Caster Sugar
- 1 ½ tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 290ml Exquisite Collection Clare Valley Riesling
- Sliver of lemon and mint leaf for each (to garnish)
Method
- Cut the strawberries into quarters and place with all other berries in a bowl. Sprinkle over the sugar, lemon juice and 120ml of Exquisite Collection Clare Valley Riesling. Leave for a few hours until the berries are soft and until the flavours have infused together. Stir in the remaining Riesling
- Pour the mixture into ice lolly moulds, ensuring to distribute the berries evenly and leaving a little space at the top. Drop a sliver of lemon and mint leaf on the top, if desired
- Freeze until slushy (around 60-90 minutes), then insert the sticks and freeze until solid (minimum 5 hours or overnight)
Gin & Tonic Poptail (serves 10)
Ingredients
- 45ml Oliver Cromwell London Dry Gin
- 700ml tonic water
- ¼ lime, juiced
- A few slices of cucumber
Method
- Mix together the tonic, gin and lime juice
- Place the cucumber slices in the moulds and pour over the liquid
- Freeze for a minimum of 5 hours (ideally overnight), until solid
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUqqxGzHKJb/?taken-by=mrsmummypennyuk
Champagne Pomegranate Poptail (serves 10)
Ingredients
- 250ml fresh pomegranate juice
- 350ml Veuve Monsigny Champagne Brut
- 50g caster sugar
- 1 pomegranate
- 1 lemon
- 2 limes
Method
- Whisk the pomegranate juice and 2 tablespoons of sugar together until completely dissolved
- Divide the pomegranate syrup among the ice lolly moulds and add the sticks; freeze for one hour
- Thinly slice 1 lime and the lemon and deseed the pomegranate
- Mix together the juice of the other lime, champagne and remaining sugar until dissolved
- Remove the lolly mould from the freezer and fill each mould with a few citrus slices and pomegranate seeds, making sure not to overfill. Top each mould with the champagne mixture
- Freeze for a minimum of 5 hours (ideally overnight), until solid.
Minty Mojito
100ml Old Hopkins White Rum
50ml Lime juice, freshly squeezed, plus Lime wedges to serve
2tbsp White Sugar (Caster Sugar is best)
Bunch of mint leaves
Ice cubes, crushed
Soda Water, to top up
Split and pour the rum, lime juice and sugar into 2 tall glasses.
Add around 5 mint leaves to each glass.
Fill each glass with crushed ice then stir ingredients until combined.
Top with soda water and garnish with a lime wedge and a sprig of mint.
Watermelon Caipirinha
400g Cubed Fresh Watermelon
140ml Cocobay White Coconut Rum
Juice of 1 Lime
Juice of 1 Lemon
Ice cubes
Put the watermelon cubes into a bowl and, with a wooden spoon, smash them into a pulp.
Add the rum, lime and lemon juice and mix well.
Pour into a jug and add ice to serve.
