How To Make Ice Pops With Beer

A New Way to Enjoy Beer

Sure, we've spent our summer making ice pops with wine, and basically anything frozen and boozy. But Samuel Adams has figured out a new way to win over our taste buds in the heat, by using its Summer Ale in two sweet and spicy recipes. 

How it Works

The Daily Meal: Everyone is freezing wine and spirits into ice pops; why does beer work so well for a Popsicle, too?

Jennifer Glanville: I love cooking with beer, as it can really spice up a traditional recipe. For example, Samuel Adams Summer Ale is already full of flavor with its crisp wheat character, bright citrusy notes, and peppery grains of paradise, so when using this brew in a pop, it's about finding the right balance of sweetness and ingredients to match the beer. Because there are some many different beer styles and a wide variety of ingredients used in the brewing process, you can easily incorporate beer into all kinds of Popsicles, sweet, tangy, spicy. There are no limits with craft beer.

Perfect Pairing

TDM: How do you pair flavors with beer to make an ice pop?
JG: First, I look at what specific flavor profile or ingredient I want to highlight. Summer Ale is a great example. It has flavors of lemon peel and a slight peppery flavor from the grains of paradise, great notes to highlight or complement in an icy treat. For these pops, we decided to team up with  Brewla  Bars, frozen pop experts we know through the Samuel Adams small business program, Brewing the American Dream, to work on some great summertime concoctions using this brew. And what they came up with was beyond delicious. The Sam Summer "Ale-Fresca" pop combines grapefruit and lemon juice with Summer Ale to bring out the citrusy flavors you expect from enjoying a Summer Ale. With Sam's Sweet & Spicy Summer, the pink peppercorns bring out the peppery heat from Summer Ale's Grains of Paradise.

The Inspiration

TDM: What was the inspiration for the Summer Ale ice pop?
JG: The inspiration for these pops is simple and the same as our inspiration for Samuel Adams Summer Ale: summertime! Summer Ale is refreshing and its hazy golden color and bright character are synonymous with the hot and hazy days of summer. Ale yeast adds a tropical fruit note that's reminiscent of mangos and peaches, and the crisp citrus notes in the Noble hops, wheat, and lemon peel combine with the subtle peppery spice of Grains of Paradise for just the right kick. We often test our theory that beer makes a great ingredient in all kinds of food. We always use beer to cook and we've mixed it with ice cream. This just seemed like a natural next step, especially since our friends at  Brewla  Bars specializes in brewed ice pops... It was a perfect match, and we couldn't think of anything better than beer and Popsicles during summer's hottest days. 

Beer Freezing Tips

TDM: Any tips for freezing beer for first-time readers?
JG: Just be sure to pour the beer into the juices slowly, to prevent too much foam.

Have Fun

Now that you have everything you need to know about making this summer treat, go enjoy it!