Best Ice for Cocktails
It's that time of the year, and the holiday season means hosting family gatherings and parties! But did you know that ice is a crucial element in creating great cocktails and mocktails? The right type of ice can make a sizable difference in the quality of your drink, and any experienced bartender will tell you that it’s key to good mixology.
I recently attended an industry event, whereas, I had the opportunity to learn about how ice can easily ruin the taste of all those delicious spirits if the wrong sized ice is used. Who would have ever thought that the use of ice could be so technical. Understanding different types of ice, such as crushed, top hat or sphere will not only favor the spirits in your drink but also impress your guests.
So now the next important question is ...where do you get these variety of ice shapes? There are specialty ice manufacturers in most cities. I posted a few below. But if you are in a smaller segmented area, using shaped ice trays with distilled water will work just fine. You will want distilled water, because it doesn't carry metals in the water and will refine a "clear" see through look.
Artisan Ice • Phoenix Arizona Artisan Ice AZ - The Clear Ice Authority
Craft Cocktail Ice – Creative Ice
References provided by: Pro Tips: Best Ice For Cocktails - 6 Types of Cocktail Ice | OHLQ
Small Ice Cubes
One-inch or 1.25-inch cubes are standard at many cocktail bars. This versatile size and shape can be used for almost any drink, especially those recipes that call for a presentation “on the rocks” or “on ice.” They also work well in drinks composed of one liquor and just a few mixers, like a Paloma, Tom Collins, Gin and Tonic, or Scotch and Soda.
Collins Spear Ice
A Collins Spear is a large, elongated bar of ice used when a cocktail is served in a tall glass, like a highball or Collins glass, from which it gets its name. It’s an excellent substitute for one-inch cubes when you want to lend some extra flair and sophistication to your drink. Because of its large size, it will melt more slowly than small cubes, so it may also have a practical purpose when you prefer less dilution for a particular cocktail. It can be used in the same kinds of highball drinks mentioned above.
Large or Big Ice Cubes
The larger the piece of ice, the more slowly it will melt, so one big ice cube will keep your drink colder for longer and dilute it more slowly than several smaller cubes. Whiskey and Scotch drinkers often prefer large cubes so they can enjoy these spirits well-chilled without watering them down, or with just enough dilution to help “open” their flavors. Large ice cubes are also excellent in spirit-forward cocktails like Negronis, Sazeracs, Manhattans, Old Fashioneds, and anything served in a lowball, old fashioned, or rocks glass.
Ice Spheres
To up your chilling-with-minimal-dilution game, you’ll need spherical ice. A large ball of ice has even less surface area than a cube, which, again, means slower melting. Ice spheres are usually two-inches in diameter. They can be used in all the same drinks as the large ice cubes described above, and in “on the rocks” glasses of a single spirit where you want your drink chilled with little dilution.
Crushed Ice
Because it consists of many small irregular pieces, crushed ice serves the opposite purpose as that of the large cube: use it when you want to ensure dilution in your cocktail to balance and blend its flavors. Crushed ice has by far the largest surface area of any ice type, so it melts very quickly, which can be desirable in strong drinks. It’s excellent in Juleps and in strong tropical drinks like Daiquiris, Mai Tais, and Blue Hawaiians. Crushed ice can be made by pulsing it in a blender.
Standard Freezer Ice
Standard freezer ice comes in roughly rectangular shapes and is made either in regular ice trays and or by built-in ice makers. Professional bartenders avoid this shape because its larger surface area melts more rapidly, potentially over-diluting drinks. But, for many tall drinks served on ice, especially stronger varieties in which a little extra dilution might be welcome (like gin and tonics and vodka sodas), this shape can work well. It works for shaking or stirring a drink, too, though you may choose to serve the final cocktail on a different type of ice.