What is one of the main ingredients of any excellent cocktail? The ice! It is required to make almost all cocktails and mixed drinks, and it definitely deserves a lot of attention. For example, certain recipes can only be made with fresh ice, meaning that you cannot just use some ice cubes that you happened to have in your freezer. Besides, tap water may not always be the best starting point to make your ice, unless you use a filter.
Better Ice Makes Better Cocktails
Many think that the purpose of ice is just to chill their drink. However, you should never forget that ice is made of water, meaning that this is what it will release into your cocktail, changing its texture and flavour. This addition blends all the drink’s flavours perfectly while mellowing the alcohol and any other strong taste, making an overall smoother flavour.
Based on the type of cocktail you want to mix, there are five basic forms of ice:
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Ice cubes
. Depending on the glasses you are using, you may need different sizes of ice cubes. When in this form, ice releases a significant amount of water into your drinks, so you should be careful to avoid overly diluted beverages.
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Shaved ice
. This is the same type of ice usually produced by soda fountain machines. It has a very fine texture, perfect to create thick cocktails.
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Cracked ice
. Cracked ice releases a significant quantity of water into drinks and melts very quickly. This is the best option to make frozen drinks as it works perfectly with the blender blades.
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Block ice
. If you like to play with different tools and you feel confident enough, you can just buy a large block of ice and create smaller chunks based on your needs. otherwise, you can play with ice blocks to carve ice rings or to garnish larger containers.
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Ice balls
. Ice balls work exactly like ice cubes, but look cooler. They are perfect for serving whiskey or other on the rocks drinks. Most importantly, ice balls can last for hours before they start melting.