Ice chills a drink and dilutes it, and dilution is part of the recipe. Using the right ice, and plenty of it, is one of the simplest ways to make better drinks.
Use more ice than you think
A glass packed with ice keeps a drink colder for longer, so each cube melts more slowly. A few cubes floating in a warm glass melt fast and leave the drink watery. The same goes for shaking and stirring: fill the shaker or mixing glass well.
Cubes
Standard cubes are the workhorse: for shaking, stirring and long drinks like the Gin and Tonic and Moscow Mule.
Large cubes and spheres
A big cube melts slowly because it has less surface area for its size, which suits drinks sipped over ice, such as the Old Fashioned and Negroni. Use large ice cube moulds.
Cracked ice
Cubes broken into a few pieces each. The IBA shakes the Aviation with cracked ice and fills a Caipirinha or Mint Julep with it.
Crushed ice
Small, fine ice that chills fast and dilutes quickly, used in the Bramble, the Mojito and many tropical drinks. To make it at home, put cubes in a Lewis bag (or a clean tea towel) and bash them with a mallet or rolling pin. The canvas soaks up meltwater, so the ice stays dry.
Fresh ice in the glass
When a shaken drink is served on the rocks, strain it over fresh ice rather than tipping in the broken, half-melted ice from the shaker.
Keep it clean and fresh
- Ice picks up smells, so keep it in a lidded container or bag away from strong-smelling food.
- Use a clean scoop, not a glass, to collect ice; a glass can chip.
- Make ice with water you'd happily drink.
See also: cocktail techniques and home bar basics.
Sources
Checked when this entry was written. Links open the original source in a new tab.
