Skip to main content

A Brief Guide to Enjoying Better Ice In Your Cocktails

Chances are good that you’re not paying enough attention to your ice. Which is fine, as there are plenty of more important things to worry about right now.

As public watering holes stay closed or open on a limited-capacity basis, you’d be wise to up your at-home bar game. That involves some upgrades, whether it’s higher-shelf whiskey, improved equipment, or game-changing additions like good bitters or tiki-friendly falernum. But don’t overlook the chilly stuff — you should also create better ice. You owe it to whatever you’re drinking, whether it’s an involved cocktail or a refreshing glass of lemonade.

clear ice
rawf8/Shutterstock

Camper English is a spirits professional out of San Francisco. A writer, drinks judge, educator, speaker, and more, he’s also a proponent of good, clean ice. He says for most fixing drinks at home, frozen water is often not even considered part of the larger equation.

“They’ll spend 60 bucks on bourbon or buy the top-shelf ginger beer and then toss some ugly ice into the glass that smells like the sausage rolls it’s stored next to,” he says of most home barkeeps. “But ice is not only something that going to make up 20% of the volume in a cocktail; it’s totally free to make unlimited quantities once you buy a tray or two.”

How do you create better ice? For starters, protect it from other invasive fridge-dwelling things.“Ice is really porous, so any open food in the refrigerator or freezer will make it smell,” he adds. “Either keep your ice or ice cube trays in Ziplocs or Tupperware or make sure all your food is in closed containers. It’s so gross to sip a glass of ice water and realize it tastes like pizza because you just threw the box in the fridge instead of a sealed container. Wrap it up!”

Shape is also important. English notes that ice melts at its surface, so it’s all about ratios. It’s why we like the big cubes for Old Fashioneds and the crushed bits for Mint Juleps. “If you want to get a room temperature soda cold as fast as possible on a hot day, go ahead and use that crescent ice from the built-in ice machine,” he says. “But for a slow sipper like Scotch that you don’t want to get watery, one big cube or sphere is best.”

Another consideration is clarity. The best bars use stuff so pure it seems plucked directly from the Arctic. Some prescribe boiling the water beforehand to remove dissolved air (it may also improve the taste of your water, depending on the quality of your tap). English; however, says this is an urban legend, having experimented with boiling and witnessing very little impact. Others take it to another level entirely, freezing artisanal waters they say offer certain flavors or even sensations of minerality.

Lipskiy/Shutterstock

Some bars, like Aviary in Chicago, have ice chefs on hand to produce any number of ice incarnations. While it’s a joy to witness (and something we miss all the more amid the pandemic) something like it can be replicated at home. English has a method he’s been pushing for about a decade now. He’s a fan of a good tray or sphere mold, but if you have the space in your freezer — and an interest in doing some of your own cutting — he has an entire page of experiments to play around with.

His ice-making is based on directional freezing, which suggests that freezing from the top down will create cloudy ice in just one area of the block. This is different from most tray systems, which freeze from all sides and therefore cloud up the entire thing. He suggests filling a hard-sided cooler with water and freezing it with the top removed. English says the top two-thirds will be clear and can be cut off of the cloudier bottom section. “Cutting up ice blocks sounds like a lot of work but it’s really fun when you get good at it.”

You can do quite a bit with a good serrated knife, a mallet, and a good pairing knife. You’ll also want some rags at the ready and an ice pick or something similar. For a guide on the cutting itself, take a look at this piece from Tales of the Cocktail. Enjoy the ride and the resulting ice; it’ll vastly improve your at-home bar creations and arm you with some fun (with knives) during quarantine.

Editors' Recommendations

Mark Stock
Mark Stock is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He fell into wine during the Recession and has been fixated on the stuff since…
Here are the best holiday cocktails for Christmastime
Need a festive cocktail for the holiday stretch? Look no further than this esteemed list of recipes
Zombie Holiday Cocktail

As 2022 winds down and the holidays really set in, the opportunity for a good, festive drink presents itself more often than usual. Makes sense, as this time of year is really about loved ones, gratitude, gatherings, and catching up. A constant throughout this deceptively busy time of year is the cocktail.

Sure, we love a good stout and a bracing glass of Sauvignon Blanc. But special occasions call for special drinks. And some of the most special around come in the format of the cocktail. What, with their decorative garnishes, vivid colors and flavors schemes, and cool, corresponding glassware, it's arguable the best time of year for one.

Read more
What to mix with eggnog: The ultimate guide to this seasonal drink
The holidays are here, meaning it's eggnog season: Here's what to mix with the rich seasonal beverage
egg nog

It's just not the holidays without eggnog. And eggnog is markedly better with a little booze injection. Yet, not just any spirit will do when combining with this rich and decadent December drink.

Great with java, mixed into a nightcap, or paired up with spirits like rye whiskey, eggnog can do a lot. Just keep in mind that this is thick stuff and not something you'll want to sip all day on. Instead, it's more of a dessert treat you can enjoy in front of the fire or as you spin a holiday album just before bed.

Read more
The best spiced rum cocktails to spice up your palate this fall
It's time to rethink spiced rum: The complex spirit is great in a number of fall-ready cocktails
Lava Roasted Manhattan cocktail.

Goodbye summer, hello fall. AKA, farewell pilsners, Sauvignon Blanc, and Margaritas, what's up Scotch, Cabernet Sauvignon, and spiced rum cocktails.

That's right, it's time to transition to darker, heftier sippers to get us through the offseason. For rum drinkers, that means something aged longer and often hit with a complimentary batch of spices. You see, spiced rum can be a beautiful, complex, soothing drink, when it with just the right ratio of additives. Like a great gin, it can take on (or be infused with) a number of great aroma and flavor-building ingredients.

Read more