Why You Can't Cut Corners on Ice

Ice is one of the most important parts of any cocktail. If you asked me, "I've got a guest I can't stand, how do I wreck their drink for sure?", I'd first tell you not to do that, and then I'd add: "Use the worst ice you've got." Let's break down what it actually affects.

The cocktail's window of life

There's a concept called a cocktail's "window of life": the time you have to drink it while it's still at its best. A drink on the beach at 35 °C and a drink in some basement bar will warm up and melt at very different rates.

What's in the bartender's hands

As a bartender, you can and should control this. Use good ice. If a piece has already melted down a lot, swap it out so you don't water the drink down or take the risk.

Always chill your serving glass, ideally straight from the freezer. The warmer the glass, the faster it heats the cocktail and melts the ice, which means a worse impression on the guest and a smaller tip. After chilling, always pour out the meltwater. You don't need an extra 15–20 ml of liquid sitting in the glass and diluting the drink.

Wet ice vs. freezer ice

Bars work with different kinds of ice, and they behave in completely different ways. Ice from a machine is usually called "wet": its temperature is only just below zero, and it gives off more water than ice from a freezer.

Store-bought ice is kept in the freezer, usually between −10 and −25 °C. Working with it is different. The moment you take it out, let it rest for a bit. Otherwise the temperature shock will crack it, ruin how it looks, and release extra water. Drinks made with this ice take an extra 10–15 seconds, since it chills hard but gives off little water. Water, by the way, is part of every cocktail. In stirred drinks it's around 20 percent, and in shaken ones around 40 percent.

Three shapes of ice

By shape, ice falls into three main categories. Standard cubes, the default from ice machines (2×2×2 or 3×3×3 cm), are used for stirring, shaking, chilling glasses, and serving the drinks themselves. For a simple café or bar, that's all you really need.

If the venue is a step up, you should have large blocks on hand. That's the serious, grown-up approach. The bigger the piece of ice, the longer it holds the right temperature and the less it waters down the drink. This matters most for classics like the Old Fashioned or the Negroni, where extra water turns a serious drink into kiddie juice. That said, building cocktails directly on large blocks is expensive and pointless for a high-volume bar. That luxury usually goes to home enthusiasts.

The third category is finely crushed ice. It gives off the most water and works where it fits: in a Mojito, a Caipirinha, or a mint Julep. This ice goes with citrus, freshness, and a light feel, and it's also great for chilling glassware quickly.

Let's lock it in.

• Plain cubed ice is your working tool. You build, chill, and serve drinks on it, and for many bars that's enough.
• Large blocks cut to fit your rocks and highball glasses are a premium touch. Serving every cocktail on a block earns respect, as long as the cocktails themselves aren't bad.
• Crushed ice isn't always a must, but it handles glassware and classic drinks well. If you make drinks at home, a Lewis bag and a mallet will come in handy for knocking out the amount you need fast.