Greenpoint’s Mom & Icepops Serves Up Crazy Flavors Like Roasted Tomato and Chipotle, Plum Violet and Rhubarb Lavender

Owner and co-Founder of Mom & Icepops Eli Kaplan has exciting new flavors in the works and dreams of bringing  his unique brand of fresh, delicious, responsibly sourced popsicles to more New Yorkers. He’s currently seeking a company expansion to keep up with the supply and demand of his inventive and delicious treats. We chatted with Kaplan about how his pops are created, and what he’s looking to achieve in the growth of Mom & Icepops.

GP: Do you have any exciting new flavors in the works? 

Eli: A bunch! Right now a flavor that has been getting a lot of positive feedback is the orange fennel. I’m also working on a roasted tomato and chipotle pop — it’s kind of savory and sweet. We also have a plum violet popsicle and rhubarb lavender pop when rhubarb is in season. 

GP: Would you ever consider making some boozy creations? 

Eli: With a new popsicle machine and the faster freeze time, we definitely would be able to. We wouldn’t be selling boozy pops at family venues but we have created and sold some for bars in the past. Some of the ones we’ve done include chocolate Guinness, strawberry whiskey sour with our strawberry basil pop, and an orange souchong with lapsang souchong tea and a little tequila. 

GP: Have you ever tried out any flavors that failed? What was one of the worst? 

Eli: Oh yeah. Grape jalapeno. 

GP: What are some aspects your company prides itself on? 

Eli: We enjoy working closely with local farmers and local businesses. We like to do things responsibly while at the same time bringing interesting pops to people. Parents tend to be really appreciative that we have a straight-forward flavor for the kids like strawberry, but at the same time parents love the interesting flavors we create for them to enjoy, like cucumber lime. We’re always trying to create new flavors and not rest on our laurels. We have something around one hundred different flavors. 

GP: Where can we  find Mom & Icepops this spring and summer? 

Eli: Right now we’re in the works to set up shop at the Down to Earth Farmer’s Market (the McGolrick’s Farmers Market), North Brooklyn Farms, Brooklyn Bike Park in Williamsburg, and do a few pop-ups at Loft 45 in Bushwick. We’re also looking to vend at the Hester Street Fair and Esme in Greenpoint. 

GP: What will reaching your Kickstarter goal mean for your company?

Eli: It would enable us to get proper machinery, primarily a popsicle machine. The first two years of this business I made all the pops by hand with molds, which take up to six hours to freeze. We’re only able to make two thousand popsicles a week. A popsicle machine would allow us to grow the business with all the time we’ll be saving, since it would take twenty minutes to freeze a batch. We could make infinitely more and it would enable us to become a year-round business, as well as keep up with supply and demand. 

Check out the Mom & Icepops Kickstarter here.