I didn’t get to taste Rustico’s infamous frozen beer-based ice pops last year before production was iced by the Virginia ABC, but thanks to the intervention of a couple of food and beverage friendly legislators, they are back on the menu this summer starting today.
For $5 a pop, adults 21 and older will have a choice of seven unique flavors, including banana, framboise (that’s raspberry), Cherry Kriek, Peche (peach, y’all), plum, chocolate stout and Cassis (black raspberry).
I got a sneak peak taste of both the banana and the raspberry brew-pop yesterday, and they are worth the trip. Cool and refreshing, as an ice pop should be, but with a hint of beer bubbles at the end, the pops are the perfect finish to a Rustico pizza and beer meal or just a mid-afternoon snack out on the picnic tables.
Virginia Del. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) and Sen. Patsy Ticer (D-Alexandria) pushed the bill to revise antiquated restrictions on alcohol content in prepared foods that was recently signed into law and makes the pops legal.
“We’re ecstatic that Adam and Patsy have made the world safe for frozen beer treats throughout the Old Dominion,” said Michael Babin, owner of Neighborhood Restaurant Group, which runs Rustico and a handful of other hot Northern Virginia restaurants, a bakery and a catering operation.
Now go get one this summer, because they disappear in September.
827 Slaters Lane
Alexandria, VA
703.224.5051
Photo of Chef Morales holding a pop, courtesy of Rustico.
