As a bartender or just a hobbyist, you should pay as much attention to your ice selection as you do to your base alcohol selection. Good ice can be one of the most aesthetically pleasing aspects of a cocktail, and the slightest imperfection can have a significant impact on the final quality of the drink. Ice not only cools drinks, but as it melts, it becomes a vital part of the cocktail itself and subtly changes its flavor and texture.

Contrary to popular belief, adding more ice to a cocktail does not directly affect the temperature of the drink or the rate at which it dilutes with water. – Once the drink reaches thermal equilibrium (and this happens at a cocktail temperature of -5° C to -8° C), it doesn’t make much difference whether you add more ice to the glass or shake longer.

Common types of ice in a bar

• Cubed ice/cube - melts for a long time, cooling drinks and slowly diluting them. Ideal for shaking, stirring and serving drinks on the rocks.
• Crushed ice/crash – easy to prepare if you have ice makers in the bar with ready-made crush ice. Or you can prepare it “by hand” in a mill (the most hated method) or in a linen bag (the traditional option). An invariable component of such cocktails as mojito and julep.
• Cracked ice is an intermediate state of ice between cube and crash. Melts faster than cubed ice. Good for serving drinks such as caipirinha.
• Ice block/wild ice/wild ice/blocks of ice - large blocks of ice weighing up to 40-50 kilograms, which can be gradually cut into pieces and made into balls, diamonds, and ice blocks for serving drinks from cubes. This ice looks aesthetically pleasing in a glass, melts slowly and is crystal clear.
• Shaved ice – literally “shaved” ice, more like snow. Previously, the term could be found in bar books; now such ice is rarely used for signature servings or as a separate type of dessert.

Crystal clear

Have you ever noticed that the ice in your drink looks cloudy or white, as if there is fog accumulated inside it? This is because it was frozen quickly and there were impurities and air bubbles trapped in the center. Ice made from pure, distilled water that freezes slowly and (most importantly) has room for air to escape will be crystal clear and melt more slowly, allowing for better control over the dilution of drinks.

Tools for working with ice, its storage and preparation

When it comes to hygiene, you should pay the same attention to ice as you do to food. It is vital to maintain the cleanliness of your ice making equipment and all associated tools to prevent contamination and maintain high standards in your bar.

• Ice Scoops – Plastic, aluminum, stainless steel or carbon ice scoops work best. Never use glass glasses or any other fragile container to collect ice, because the glass may break and shards may get into the drink.
• Ice Buckets – Remember to drain melt water and do not store ice tongs inside a bucket.
• Bar station - a high-quality bar station will have a double bottom, with a compartment for melt water and its discharge into a sink or sewer. This way the ice will be stored at the correct temperature and away from the melt water.
• Ice picks and saws for working with wild ice.
• Ice Stocking - Always make sure you have fresh ice and enough ice to last your entire shift. You can stock your freezers during the week to ensure you have ice for the weekend.

Craft ice

Bartenders are always coming up with new ways to use ice. Here are a few trends and techniques to help you elevate your drinks and stay on the icy theme.

• Large balls and hand-shaved ice cubes are used to serve spirits or serve classic cocktails in old-fashioned glasses.
• Elongated ice bars are used for serving fizz and cocktails in highball glasses. You can buy the necessary ice molds or cut the block into bars.
• You can use flowers or fruits frozen in ice balls for creative servings.

Ice in cocktails is an indispensable attribute for us. We are so used to it that we don’t even think about it as a separate element.

I will tell you about such an important element in bartending art as ice and consider

What is ice? Of course, one of the physical states of water (for those who don’t remember, the remaining two are steam and liquid). The chemical composition is, of course, H 2 O. In reality, all this is only part of the truth. In fact, ice is not a simple thing. There is even a whole science in this world that studies its properties. It's called glaciology. The term is derived from the Latin word glacies - ice and the Greek λογος - teaching.

But before you start preparing ice for cocktails, you should clarify some points. For example, that ice, even the most edible one, never has the formula H 2 O. After all, the water from which you will prepare frozen transparent ice cubes for cocktails has a lot of impurities. If you don’t want to spoil the noble drink, you need to boil it before pouring the water into special forms. Try not to use unfiltered tap water.

Where does ice for cocktails come from?

Ice for cocktails, of course, comes from the refrigerator. In special fancy molds. This remains true as long as your art as a bartender is used to produce a one-piece or at least small-volume product. If you plan to switch to mass production of cocktails, then you will need an ice maker.

These are quite industrial devices for making ice for cocktails. They are divided into two main types - those that operate on a water cooling system (their name usually contains the letter W, from water - “water”), or those that use air for this (the letter A, from air - “air”). Ice makers are capable of supplying you with ice in a pre-determined shape.

Most cocktails are prepared with ice. First of all, ice serves to cool the cocktail without adding water to it, and secondly, to keep the cocktail cold for as long as possible. If you want ice that is as clear as glass, boil the water before freezing or use mineral or spring water to make cubes.

Food ice - represents individual pieces of ice in the form of cubes or cylinders. Produced by ice makers from purified, filtered water. Edible ice is used as a cooling filler in alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, cocktails, and juices.

Lump (shaped) ice - produced in the form of pieces of different shapes. It is added to drinks for cooling and beauty. There are several standard forms of lump ice:

- Glass, or finger ice - comes in the shape of a cylinder with a hole and really resembles a glass. In Russia, this type of ice is no less popular than cube ice. It is believed to cool drinks better and faster, as it has a much larger heat transfer surface. The “cup” comes in small (22x24 mm), medium (33x34 mm) and large sizes. This type of ice is well suited for long drinks and carbonated drinks. In addition, it is used in a shaker or blender, as it is quite fragile.

- Cube ice- This is the classic form of edible ice. A cube of this ice weighs from 13 to 33 g and is suitable for glasses of any shape. Regarding ice cubes: the larger they are, the better. The easiest way to get ice cubes is from ice bins with levers, as well as from plastic compartments. Square-shaped ice takes a long time to melt and is therefore well suited for clear spirits.

- Ice in the form of nuggets has a weight of 5-7 g, quickly dissolves and cools the drink.

crushed ice used at exhibitions and presentations for cooling food and drinks. It is in the form of chopped pieces of irregular shape. It is also sometimes used in restaurants to prepare drinks and cocktails in a shaker. Crushed ice is easiest to make in an ice mill, but you can do without it. Place a few ice cubes on a tea towel and fold it into a bag shape. Then place the towel with the ice on a sturdy rack and use a meat mallet to pound the ice. Place the crushed ice in a jar and place it in the freezer. Crushed ice melts faster than cubed ice, so always prepare it immediately before use.

Also used in making cocktails crushed ice ("Cobbler").

Ice Frappe(finely crushed ice “crush ice”) is planed or finely crushed ice. Used for making cocktails with fruit, cups, sparkling cocktails "FRAPE", "Mojito" and other drinks that need to be drunk through a straw.

Granular ice - these are large hailstones with a diameter of 1 cm. Granulated ice has an ideal temperature of -0.5 ° C, does not freeze, is easy to store, easily mixes with the product and tightly envelops it, has no sharp edges and does not spoil the product. Granulated ice can be used in restaurants to serve caviar, champagne or wine, or organize a salad bar or buffet, when plates with prepared dishes are placed on an ice bed.
Flake ice has an ice temperature of -6-12°C, the thickness of its scales is 1-2 mm. It creates an intense freezing effect, but when it freezes it develops sharp edges, and at elevated temperatures (for example, in open display cases) it tends to stick together.

Ice cubes Fancy - a special type of ice cubes in which candied fruits with a variety of colors and tastes are frozen. Ice cubes made from frozen tea or coffee are also available. If the cocktail recipe calls for the use of such ice, prepare it with the addition of juices, mint leaves or berries. To ensure that the berries and leaves are inside a piece of ice, freeze in layers: pour one-third of the liquid into the mold, let it freeze, then add mint leaves, pieces of fruit or berries and fill with the remaining liquid.

Colored ice used for design, decoration, decoration, cooling drinks. Juices, lemonades, and cocktails can be served with colored ice cubes or early-colored ice hearts. Colored ice is served in thick glass or crystal containers. Along with the ice, ice tongs are served, with the help of which ice is placed into glasses. Colored edible ice is obtained by freezing sweetened fruit and berry juices. These pieces of ice, in addition to color, have a pleasant fruity taste. Also prepare multi-colored ice using layer-by-layer freezing.

Ice from mineral water, from which all the gas has escaped. This ice for cocktails will not melt for a long time and will provide the natural taste of a cool drink.

fried ice- In the hottest summer, nothing will save you from the heat like “fried ice.” A somewhat strange phrase: one word seems to destroy the other. But in fact it is possible.
Preparing the dish is very simple. You need to freeze pieces of fruit in ice. Then beat the egg white and make a meringue the size of a ping pong ball. Press a piece of ice into this meringue ball. Then pour hot cognac over it and set it on fire. The cognac burns out so that the ice does not have time to melt. It turns out to be a crispy meringue with an ice cube. Tasty, cool, and pleasant in the heat. And melt water is very good for health.

Planed ice(“Shaved”) in the summer heat is consumed with various syrups to quench thirst.

In recent years, they have become especially popular creative ice molds made from silicone. There are a lot of opportunities for designers here. After all, these containers can be given the most elaborate shape. So they try their best. Letters. Skeletons. Ice diamonds. "Titanic" with an iceberg. And these are far from the most difficult options. But there is one rule for all forms. Before pouring ice into glasses, keep the mold with it for a few minutes at room temperature. The ice will melt a little and will easily leave the mold. Otherwise, you risk breaking the mini ice sculpture conceived by the anonymous designer.

In Japan, special molds for ice balls appeared.

As paradoxical as it sounds, the colder the ice, the worse it cools drinks. Cocktails with very cold ice cubes tend to take longer to shake than those with warmer ones. Therefore, it is better to use ice cubes whose temperature is about 0°C - you need to remove the ice from the freezer shortly before preparing the cocktail.
Remember: ice should cool the cocktail, but not dissolve it. Excess water can ruin any original recipe.

“Can I have a mojito, but less ice, please!”

Why do you need ice in cocktails?

Really, why? The vast majority, when drinking at home, simply dilute the alcohol with juice or cola, and God forbid if the juice or cola has time to cool a little in the refrigerator. And so many people drink, and they drink a lot.

Well, let's start with a little historical excursion. The Americans were the first to use ice in cocktails, and they began to use it there simply because, a) they could produce it in sufficient quantities, since America has enough climatic zones, and initially ice was delivered from north to south, and b) why it delivered from north to south? right, because it was hot in the south, and drinking warm brandy or whiskey was somehow “not ice.”

But the first versions of what we know today as cocktails were made in Europe, in particular in France and Great Britain, where for quite a long time people drank so-called punches, or as we used to call them - punches. Punch is essentially strong alcohol (usually brandy) mixed with water, citrus juice and sugar.
Typically, such cocktails were drunk slightly cool or even warm, using them to warm up in winter or simply from bad weather (this was especially popular in England).

Over time, this fashion came to the United States, where in the southern states they began to add ice to punches to make it more pleasant to drink in the heat.
If you dig deeper, the first cocktail is based on a simple principle - dilute the strong alcohol to a consistency where it becomes more pleasant to drink, plus don’t forget to add sugar and acid. And this principle did not arise out of nowhere, because earlier, at the dawn of the era of industrial alcohol production, this very alcohol was not so good. Often it was so hard that it was simply impossible to drink it neat. Therefore, people everywhere simply diluted it with at least water, often adding sugar to hide the unpleasant tastes.

So it turns out that first reason, why we need ice in cocktails - to dilute the cocktail.

Second reason it could be how the low temperature affects the taste. At low temperatures, the sensitivity of the taste buds decreases, so the taste becomes a little “softer” (in fact, it just takes the body more time to heat the cold liquid in the mouth so that the taste becomes stronger), and some unwanted flavors are smoothed out, and the acidity also becomes a shade of “freshness” (compare cold white wine and the same one, but at room temperature).

From the above we can conclude that if the alcohol is of good quality and medium strength, then it can be drunk “purely”, and this is in fact true, ice in cocktails serves both for technical purposes (lowering the degree, cooling, stirring) and for aesthetic - drinking cold is simply more pleasant for many.

What ice to use in cocktails

From a technical point of view, ice in a bar performs a very simple function - it simplifies the work. After all, to make a quality cocktail we need the right ingredients, at the right temperature. Let's say to make the same cosmopolitan we need cold vodka, cold orange liqueur, cold cranberry juice and cold lime juice, plus cold water, and all this just needs to be mixed in the right proportions, and mixed well - then at the end we will get quite a decent cosmo. But this is only in theory, in practice everything is more complicated, from a technological point of view it is difficult to store all the ingredients observing the required temperature conditions, and then you also need to mix it somehow well and quickly so that the cocktail does not have time to heat up. That's why we use ice - as a universal mixer and refrigerator, two in one.

Now about the types of ice. Conventionally, ice can be divided into 3 large groups:

• lump ice
• crushed ice
• ground ice

Lump ice(in cubes) we are used to seeing whiskey or rum in a glass, it is used to serve most cocktails, it is pleasant to drink with cola or soda, and it is used for shaking in a shaker, and for stirring in a mixing glass. Good lump ice has a good balance between its ability to chill a drink and the length of time it can chill.

crushed ice, or as it is often called - crash, it is essentially lump ice crushed into small pieces; crushed ice has a large area of ​​​​contact with the liquid, which means effective cooling.

Ground ice, sometimes called shaved ice, it is essentially very fine ice, more like snow, it is usually made in a blender or food processor, or special ice makers are used to produce it. This ice has the most effective cooling, it cools the cocktail almost instantly, and to an extremely low temperature, but it also melts faster than others.

How does ice melt?

Many people think that lump ice melts much slower than crushed or ground ice. This is partly true, but lump ice melts evenly, since its area of ​​contact with the liquid is smaller relative to other types of ice, then some part of the liquid is always warmer than the one that comes into contact with the ice, so cocktails with such ice are usually stirred so that Cool cocktail evenly. Accordingly, the cocktail will become evenly cold after some time, provided that it also needs to be stirred periodically. Therefore, block ice is suitable for those who drink slowly, allowing the ice to melt and periodically stirring the cocktail so that it is evenly cold. Another feature of block ice is that it does not overcool the cocktail, bringing it to an acceptable cooling level.

Crushed ice cools the cocktail faster and melts faster, but it melts faster only at the very beginning, when you have just prepared the cocktail, melting, crushed ice very quickly (and evenly!) cools the liquid to an extremely low temperature (depending on the initial temperature of the liquid and the amount of ice), and then, the liquid remains in this state for quite a long time, since the environment (let’s say room temperature) heats the liquid quite slowly.

Ground ice acts in much the same way as crushed ice, only a little faster, since such ice itself melts very quickly in a liquid of almost any temperature, making it very cold, but then this liquid heats up faster, since the “refrigeration elements” are in There are fewer pieces of ice in the liquid on the face than in the case of crushed ice.

How to use ice in cocktails?

Why do we need ice in a shaker? Everything is simple for mixing drinks among themselves, for cooling the resulting mix, and for enriching the mix with oxygen to reveal the aromatics.

From the above it follows that in most cases, lump ice is best suited for these purposes. It doesn't melt too quickly and it doesn't water down the cocktail too much, it doesn't cool too much, and it's big enough to "whip" the cocktail and oxygenate it.

Sometimes, when the components of a cocktail are already cold, that is, strong cooling is not required, and the components themselves are quite aromatic, you can use crushed ice to quickly “thin” the cocktail and “chill it a little”, while still having time to mix it thoroughly.

Obviously, it is not advisable to use ground ice in a shake; it is usually used in cocktails where we need water, and in order to obtain it in sufficient quantities and gradually, while cooling the cocktail, we use ground ice.

The cocktail is most often served with regular chunky ice, just like whiskey or rum. In these cases, when we use block ice, it makes sense to prepare your own ice for serving. Personally, large pieces of crushed ice with jagged, sometimes sharp edges in an Old Fashioned or simply in a glass of whiskey evoke aesthetic delight. In fact, there is nothing easier than making your own ice, and there is no more effective way to serve alcohol with ice beautifully than with a large block of ice, sometimes even carved into an intricate shape.

How to freeze ice?

Firstly, clean water, secondly, patience.

Now more details. In bars, of course, there are professional ice makers, some bad, some good - but for the most part it is digestible ice, suitable for making simple cocktails of the “tasty drink” level. There is only one problem with ice makers in bars - most of them are connected to the water supply, and use tap water, either directly without filters (bad), or with filters, but these filters are often simply not maintained, changed or cleaned (not good, but and eh...).

Good ice can be made both in bars and at home. How? Easily!

Many people use silicone ice molds at home; it’s worth saying a few kind things about these ice molds. Unfortunately, most of these molds, although they have a very interesting design, are unfortunately not very suitable for cocktails. Firstly, few people will go broke and buy 5-10 molds, and approximately this amount is needed so that two people can comfortably drink a couple of drinks, and secondly, to prepare a sufficient amount of ice using these molds. Secondly, to make ice in these forms you need to fiddle with it, pour it in, freeze it, take it out, pour it in again, freeze it, etc.

But you can do it simpler, just take a large container, large enough to fit in the freezer, pour water into it, put it in the freezer and forget about it for a couple of days, then take out a large piece of ice, split it into large or not very large pieces, fold put them in a container and put them in the freezer, and that’s it – the ice is almost ready..

Water for ice needs to be prepared. Firstly, use only filtered water, you can filter it through a home filter, or buy it in bottles. Secondly, there is a little trick on how to get clear ice: to do this, you need to boil the water and cool it at least twice...

Well, yeah, a little confusing, there is an easier way. Simply freeze the water into a large chunk and break off the clear parts, all but the middle, which will likely be cloudy and bubbly.

As a result, you will get large, beautiful pieces of ice that can be used both for making cocktails and for drinking your favorite drinks in their pure form.

Let's summarize

Ice is a very important part of a cocktail, but not only a cocktail, even mineral water or juice tastes better with ice. Moreover, anyone can prepare a small supply of ice for home, it’s very simple, and you can use it not only in cocktails, believe me, even ordinary whiskey with a good large piece of ice will seem tastier, and drinking it will be more aesthetically pleasing.

After all, alcohol is not only and not so much an “effect”, but a process, atmosphere and communication.

Brew 5 bags of English Breakfast black tea in 1 liter of boiling water, let steep for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags, add 100 g of sugar and 1 sliced ​​lemon to the tea. Cool, then add 125 ml vodka and serve with ice.

Mojito

Place leaves from two sprigs of mint in a tall glass, crush with a pestle (bartenders call it a muddler), fill the glass with crushed ice, pour in 50 ml of white rum and top up with tonic. Garnish the cocktail with a sprig of mint.

Bloody Mary

Fill the glass with ice cubes. Pour in 50 ml tequila, 1 tsp. red wine vinegar and top up the glass with good tomato juice. Garnish with a celery stick. Advice: You can replace the vinegar with lemon juice and serve with lemon slices.

Orange with brandy and Orange with vermouth and blackberries

For a cocktail with orange and vermouth Mash 2 blackberries in a shaker, pour in 50 ml orange juice, 2 tsp. lemon juice, 30 ml of sugar syrup, add 100 ml of dry vermouth, mix and pour into glasses filled with ice. For a cocktail with orange and brandy In a shaker, remember the leaves from 1 mint sprig, and 2 orange slices with a wooden spoon. Add 30 ml brandy or Calvados, 30 ml Pimm's liqueur (optional, if you find it), 1 tbsp. lemon juice, 1 tbsp. maple syrup. Shake well and strain into glass twice. Add ice, top up with sparkling water, and garnish with mint.

Citrus punch

Thinly slice, without peeling, ½ fresh pineapple, 1 orange, 1 lime and place in a large jug or punch bowl. Gently crush the fruit with a spoon to release its juice. Pour pineapple or orange juice and tonic into a jug. Serve over ice. Those who wish can add a little light rum to the punch. Serves 10-12

"Ice" cocktail. In the summer, when all living things literally melt under the rays of the merciless sun, cocktails with ice, prepared in a blender in just a couple of minutes, bring special pleasure at the end of a busy day. Coconut and banana margaritas, iced smoothie with lemon and whiskey, strawberry cream tequila with ice...

RELIEVES FATIGUE AND IRRITATION

In the summer, when all living things literally melt under the rays of the merciless sun, cocktails with ice, prepared in a blender in just a couple of minutes, bring special pleasure at the end of a busy day. Coconut and banana margaritas, iced lemon whiskey smoothie, strawberry cream tequila with ice, lime daiquiri...

All this perfectly refreshes and tones, relieves fatigue and irritation.

If we talk about strong drinks in their pure form, such as whiskey, rum, cognac, gin and others, then in hot weather there is rarely a desire to spend the evening in their company. Although it will be quite pleasant if you add a few ice cubes to the glass.

Refreshes, tones, relieves fatigue

ICE IS THE MAIN INGREDIENT

To make your cocktails more delicious and bring you true pleasure, you need to take care not only of your taste preferences in alcoholic drinks and related additives, but also of the quality of the ice. This component is found in significant quantities in cocktails, while few people think about its purity and, in general, what kind of water was used.

Taste depends on the quality of ice

PURE ICE

To make the right ice at home, you can use a reverse osmosis filter - the latest achievement in the field of household water purification.

It takes up relatively little space (most of the volume is in the storage tank) and has a relatively low cost, considering that one liter of bottled water would cost you almost 20 times more than reverse osmosis. The system produces water purified from all harmful impurities, including viruses and bacteria by 98%.

There are other, simpler filters for drinking water purification: flow-through systems, jug filters or faucet attachments.