Alcohol vs. freezing

[Tri2Cook]

Has anybody worked out the maximum amount of alcohol you can get away with incorporating into a sorbet or ice cream base and still have it freeze enough to temporarily hold it's shape? Let's go with your basic 80 proof or lower alcohol range since that's common. Solid freezing isn't necessary but it would need to be able to hold it's shape enough to scoop out small balls that would maintain their shape very briefly. Once they're scooped out, holding ability isn't a factor. Texture isn't a factor either, ice crystals and all of that sort of thing are irrelevant.

[mkayahara]

Two ideas come to mind: I tried to make a bianco vermouth sorbet once, and it froze just barely enough to hold its shape; depending on what you're doing with it, it might even have been too soft. The vermouth in question was 16% abv., but it also had a lot of sugar in it which may have inhibited the freezing as much as - or more than - the alcohol.

Second, you could always check out Jamie Boudreau's recipe for Martini sorbet here. It sounds like it packs a good punch. Hope that helps!

[Tri2Cook]

That's a cool link. Thanks! I'd prefer not to incorporate any gelling agents if possible but it's a good idea. Basically, I just need it to hold it's shape well enough to drop them in a -100 f. bath to finish freezing hard. After that, they will be dipped in chocolate and stored in the cooler to thaw so that there is a liquid center in the chocolate shell.

[mkayahara]

Have you considered starch molding? Or are you trying to avoid the sugar content that would involve?

[Tri2Cook]

Yeah, starch molding wouldn't really work for what I have in mind. I'm picturing basically a mini cocktail in a chocolate shell. Completely liquid, relatively high in booze, not overly sugary.