Originally Posted by
LapLap
I keep vodka in the freezer as well as other liqueurs with 20% alcohol - they don't freeze.
Frozon cocktail on a stick might seem like a good idea - but I'm guessing that frozen margaritas are slushy for a reason.
Perhaps you should experiment with something like frozen alcohol jellos - or take a leaf out of the milkshake thread and indulge in cold alcoholic shakes instead (I occasionally like a real chocolate and ice-cream shake laced with cointreau or peppermint liqueur)
Well, you raise a good point. Alcohol (including vodka, etc) will freeze, but it requires a much lower temperature than that obtained by most home freezers.
However, beverages with lower alcohol contents will freeze or nearly so, as they are largely water-based. (As anyone who has accidentally forgotten the beer or wine that they put in the freezer to 'chill' can attest!)
Basically, the higher the alcohol content of the liquid, the lower the required temperature in order to attain a frozen or near-frozen product.
The means of calculating this is contained in a chemistry term called
freezing-point depression, I believe. (Related to boiling-point elevation.)
In general, for dilute solutions, the amount of change in the freezing point is proportional to the concentration of the solute in the solution.
So, the goal is to increase the alcohol content in the popsicles to the point where they will still freeze (or near-freeze) within the temperature range of the normal home freezer, but no more.
I'm far too lazy to try and calculate it by formula (especially after the generous portions of wine my friend served at her place last night), so I might just try and play with the proportions and leave the rest to my freezer.
But if anyone is interested in trying to provide an answer that suggests the correct proportions to use, I'd be grateful. And impressed.
