Learn how to make “I’m all grown up” boozy popsicles with edible lilac flowers with a simple gin and tonic popsicle recipe. It’s perfect for spring brunch with your lady friends and a fun way to enjoy a summer treat a season early!
A Traditional Summer Treat
I still have fond memories of my parents giving me change to buy ice cream throughout summers as a child. Every year the ice cream truck would circle through our cul-de-sac to deliver treats to a neighborhood full of kids. I think my favorites were the chocolate Good Humor ice cream bars and, of course, bomb pops. These days, however, ice cream truck sightings are rare. They’re also the talk of the town. Just not for the reason you may think.
The only ice cream truck we ever see circling the block plays Christmas music. As if that wasn’t bizarre enough, the combination of Christmas tunes in the summer paired with the distortion from a pair of way back speakers sounds pretty f-ing creepy. I swear it reminds me of that movie, Killer Clown from Outer Space. It has that same eerie level of creep factor that’s both amusing and terrifying at the same time.
There are also no bright pictures or prices for ice cream painted onto the sides of this particular truck. Therefore, my friends and I always wonder what that ice cream truck is really a front for. We’ve never actually seen anyone buy ice cream from this truck. So for all we know the person inside could be selling drugs. Or perhaps it’s a secret gateway to hell. (I mean hey, I did grow up in the 80’s. Anything is possible!) I’ve also wondered if other towns and cities like mine have experienced the same sort of killer clown ice cream truck phenomenon.
Luckily, all of the other food trucks in our area seem to legit. It’s just that one ice cream trucks that creeps me out more than the massage parlors dotted throughout our strip malls. Those, at least, aren’t emitting eery music or maneuvering through our neighborhoods.
These days I’m obviously no longer dependant on quarters and dimes from my parents to get my ice cream fix. However, seeing as how I’m all grown up – in number not in heart – I enjoy making my own homemade popsicles from time to time. And what better way to celebrate the arrival of spring than with your own boozy popsicles speckled with edible flowers?
Benefits of Edible Lilac Flowers
One of my favorite spring flowers are lilacs. Lilac shrubs, which typically bloom in late spring, offer more than just their beautiful blooms. This flowering shrub yields a plethora of fragrant blooms that are not only pretty to look at, they are also edible and medicinal. A beautiful touch to garnish drinks for a spring brunch, lilac blooms offer a slightly bitter, floral flavor. (Much like some of my favorite cocktails. I am after all, a gin and tonic girl with an undying love for elderflowers and juniper berries.)
Medicinally, lilacs make a lovely ingredient in facial toners due to their astringent properties. (Next time you’re thinking of making rose water, why not try lilacs instead?) A warm or cold lilac infusion also makes a nice compress for rashes, cuts and other skin ailments due to its natural astringency. As a home remedy, lilacs have often been used to bring down fevers as well as to help with gastric issues such as gas, bloating and constipation.
Boozy Popsicles: A Twist on a Summer Treat (A Season Early)
Following is a simple and easy recipe for making boozy popsicles with gin and tonic. And of course a few (or a lot!) of fresh lilac flowers thrown into the mix. Not a fan of gin? Try swapping it with your favorite organic vodka instead!
Gin and Tonic Boozy Popsicles Recipe
Ingredients:
3 cups Fever Tree tonic water
1 1/2 oz. Botanica gin (or similar)
Squeeze of fresh lime juice
Fresh lilac blossoms, to suit
Directions:
Combine all the ingredient in a small pitcher and mix to combine. Then pour the mixture into popsicles molds of your choice. Pop into the freezer, then enjoy once frozen!
For slightly sweeter boozy popsicles, try using sugared lilac blossoms instead! Or try the Fever Tree elderflower tonic water in place of regular tonic water.
You can also use pretty spoons in place of a traditional wooden popsicle stick to make your boozy popsicles the perfect addition to your spring wedding or event.
Not a fan of flowers? You can also make this recipe using fresh lime slices for a fun visual twist.
More Ways to Enjoy Edible Flowers
Want more ideas on edible flowers to add to your boozy popsicles, drinks and desserts? Then be sure to check out the book, The Art of Edible Flowers, by Rebecca Sullivan. This floral inspired cookbook is a wonderful guide to just some of many ways in which flowers can be used in a range of delicious recipes. Readers will discover recipes for delightfully sweet concoctions such as a rose & lavender cocktail syrup and jasmine & green tea ice cream. Or learn how to make homemade drinks such as a fermented elderflower fizz or a soothing poppy milk. You can purchase The Art of Edible Flowers here.
Explore Other Cocktail Recipes
Following are some of my favorite cocktail recipes that are perfect for entertaining or simply enjoying a drink on a warm evening.
- Sweet French 75 (or 95) Cocktail Recipe
- Limoncello & Violette Spritzer Recipe
- Citrus Fruit Pitcher Sangria recipe
- Lemon Ginger Spritzer Cocktail Recipe
- Rooibos Peach Tea Rum Punch Recipe
Or check out this post to learn how to make your own handcrafted cocktail bitters.
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