An ice pop, or freezer pop, also referred to in the United States as a popsicle, and in the United Kingdom as an ice lolly, lolly ice or ice lollipop, is a frozen, water-based frozen snack. It is made by freezing flavored liquid (such as fruit juice) around a stick. Often, the juice is colored artificially.[1] Once the liquid freezes solid, the stick can be used as a handle to hold the ice pop. Other types of ice pops come in plastic sleeves, with no stick, and come ready to freeze by the consumer, so no refrigeration is necessary during storage.
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In the United States and Canada frozen ice on a stick generically referred to as a popsicle due to the early popularity of the Popsicle brand, and the word has become a genericized trademark to mean any ice pop or freezer pop, regardless of brand or format. In Ireland the product is also referred to as as a freeze pop. In the USA they are called an ice pop or freezer pop. Ice block is used in parts of Australia[2][3] and New Zealand, as well as icy pole, after a brand of the same name.[4] The term ice pop, freezer pop or freezie is used for a frozen dessert with no stick, packaged in round plastic sleeves (such as La Fiesta and California Snow, manufactured by Harrison Beverage, Inc.in California, or in flat plastic sleeves (such as Otter Pops), and eaten by cutting off an end of the sleeve and pushing up the ice.
The first recorded ice pop was created in 1905 by 11-year-old Frank Epperson of San Francisco, who left a glass of soda water powder and water outside in his back porch with a wooden mixing stick in it. That night the temperature dropped below freezing, and when Epperson returned to the drink the next morning, he found that the soda water had frozen inside the glass, and that by running it under hot water, he was able to remove (and eat) the frozen soda water chunk using the stick as a handle.[5]
The ice pop was introduced to the public for the first time at an Oakland ball for firemen in 1922. In 1923, Epperson applied for a patent for "frozen ice on a stick" called the Epsicle ice pop, which he re-named the Popsicle, allegedly at the instigation of his children. A couple of years later, Epperson sold the rights to the brand name Popsicle to the Joe Lowe Company in New York City.[6]
Ice pop sticks, such as those used in the Popcicle brand, are usually made out of birch wood and sometimes contain hidden riddles written onto their sides.
An ice pop (also known as a freezer pop, freezie or ice-pole), [7], tip top, or in Ireland a cool pop[8]) is a snack of frozen flavored sugar water, fruit juice or fruit purée in a plastic tube, either round or flat. Prominent brands include La Fiesta and California Snow, manufactured in California by Harrison Beverage, Inc. , Otter Pops, Ice Tickles, Fla-Vor-Ice, Chilly Willy (after the cartoon penguin of the same name), Pop-ice, Foxy Pop, or (in the UK, Ireland, Canada and France) Mr Freeze. They are produced in a variety of fruit flavors, including cherry, orange, lemon-lime, banana and fruit punch. In Canada ice pops are known almost exclusively as 'freezies'.[9]
It is estimated that over one billion ice pops are consumed in the United States every year. Out of 30 flavors available, orange has typically been the favorite.[10] However, Popsicle itself claims that its annual sales are over two billion and that its best selling flavor is cherry.[6]
An alternative to the store-bought ice pops is making them at home using fruit juice, drink mix, or any freezable beverage. A classic method involves using ice cube trays and toothpicks, although various ice pop freezer molds are also available. DIY ice pop aficionados pride themselves on the creative flavor combinations they're able to concoct.[11]
On June 22, 2005, Snapple tried to beat the existing Guinness Book of World Records entry of a 1997 Dutch 21-foot ice pop by attempting to erect a 25-foot ice pop in New York City. The 17.5 tons of frozen juice that had been brought from Edison, New Jersey in a freezer truck melted faster than expected, dashing hopes of a new record. Spectators fled to higher ground as firefighters hosed away the kiwi-strawberry-flavored mess.[12]