Updated on 13 October 2026. The original 2007 post is kept below.
The short, frozen life of the Hopsicle
A small correction: Rustico is in Alexandria, Virginia, just across the river from Washington, D.C. In summer 2007 chef Frank Morales and beer director Greg Engert started freezing beers into popsicles. Flavours included Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout and fruity Belgian lambics. The Washington Times wrote about them, and they became an instant local hit.
Then the regulators arrived. Virginia’s Alcoholic Beverage Control authority said that pouring beer into moulds and freezing it broke the state’s serving rules, and it looked into the restaurant. Rustico said it would look for a legal way to keep the treat going, and the Washington City Paper had fun with the headline.
So our 2007 instinct to “stick to a mug” turned out to be the legally safest choice in Virginia too. Cheers, carefully.
More frozen oddities: the Pickle Sickle and absinthe lollipops.
From the 2007 original
If cold beer in just not refreshing enough, you might want to try this frozen beer popsicle. This frozen delight is named by its creator “Hopsicle” and is available at the restaurant Rusticos in Washington D.C.
I think I will myself stick to a mug. I Tried frozen beer sometime when I forgot the cans to the freezer where they were cooling off. Just did not taste good.
Source: keyetv.com
