Summer is here and refreshing cocktails are on the drinks menu.
I’ve been intrigued with wine-based cocktails and in particular the Frosé (frozen rosé) cocktail, spotted on social.
My favourite find this month is Giesen rosé!
I decided to take a slightly different tangent and create an adult ice pop…with stewed rhubarb thrown in the mix, home grown none the less. Why not, right? You never know, until you know.
It was a bit of trial really, freezing alcohol. The higher the alcohol content the less likely it is to freeze (as I found out with my Gin & Tonic Citrus Ice).
I decided to try my hand at a frozen rosé with a little extra ‘ooomph’ from my garden. What? Not only is rhubarb a vegetable (adding to my 5+ a Day, by a smidgen) I figured the stewed juice would be a complementary flavour and help ‘dilute’ the rosé enough to freeze more easily perhaps than without, and the fruit to give some texture.
Result? Success!
Left to freeze overnight made for a great, firm result: a beautiful soft pink blush, a fresh and crisp flavour (not a sweet ice pop by any means) with some soft rhubarb to munch on too. I even added an edible flower for extra colour before setting.
On a hot day I would recommend it is consumed promptly as it will otherwise melt before your eyes. And if it does? Turn it into a slushie, just as delicious. There’s plenty of rosé in this mix mind, be sure to nominate a driver before going in for seconds!
It was my first attempt of freezing wine (intentionally) and I felt a little reckless for adding stewed rhubarb to the mix, but it worked. I will have fun working on my measures and ingredients (could be lovely with fresh mint too, maybe a few pureed strawberries instead of the stewed rhubarb would make it naturally sweet). It was a refreshing first experiment that I would gladly repeat. If you’ve never had a frozen vino, I do encourage you to give it a whirl and get creative too.
Rhubarb Frosé Ice Pop
Ingredients
- 4 stems rhubarb
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 Tbsp white sugar
- 3 cups Giesen rosé
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- edible flowers, optional
Method
- Trim end from rhubarb, wash and cut into small 3cm pieces. Add to a saucepan with water and sugar. Simmer, covered, over a medium heat for approx 8-10 minutes until soft. Drain the rhubarb, reserving 3/4 cup of rhubarb water (the original water quantity will reduce during simmering). Add both the stewed rhubarb and water to the rosé. Allow to chill (either on the bench or the fridge).
- Scoop a teaspoon of stewed rhubarb and place into the ice pop moulds, top with rosé liquid and float a washed edible flower on top (to be fancy). Add your ice pop stick and place in freezer on a flat surface, overnight.
- Makes approx 10 ice pops (depending on your mould size).
Thank you Giesen for providing your New Zealand rosé for inspiration! #GiesenFrose #FroseSummer #nomnom
