The Mixologist’s Guide to Using Specialty Ice

Posted on March 6, 2015 by

Do bar and restaurant guests appreciate the ice in their drinks? Whether or not they realize it, ice plays a role in taste and presentation.

This is especially true for speciality ices. Beyond simple cubes, mixologists use them to create drinks that keep customers in their seats.

To help you do the same, we’ve created the mixologist’s guide to using specialty ice:

Craft Cocktails with Kold Draft Cubes

Serving the perfect cocktail goes beyond the ingredients you mix. Simple, elegant presentations are how mixologists stand out from competition. That’s why they use Kold Draft ice cubes.

Whether patrons like martinis shaken or stirred, you won’t have to worry about cracking these cubes.

Dense and durable, they maintain a perfectly-square shape:

This level of toughness also means they’re the slowest-melting ice cubes available. Your regulars will down their drinks before the cubes start to melt. They’ll enjoy the flavours you’ve worked hard to perfect – not a watered-down version of them.

With bold and smooth tastes, customers won’t think twice about paying $15 for a cocktail.

Serve Liquor around Ice Spheres

Ice spheres and straight liquor are inseparable. Often placed in a tumbler to show off top-shelf whisky, spheres slowly melt to keep the drink’s full flavour. Bartenders can regularly refill a patron’s glass without adding new ice.

Lowball mixed drinks, such as Black and White Russians, also call for ice spheres. They give the beverages a sophisticated look, assuring patrons they’re at a high-end bar or restaurant.

You can buy ready-made spheres, but Japanese mixologists carve them from small ice blocks. It’s a selling point for customers, as they crowd around the bar to see the live show.

Here’s a look at how it’s done:

Whether you buy or carve them, use this ice trend to promote premium drinks at premium prices.

Bolster Beer with Crushed Ice

Though not as popular as spheres, crushed ice has made its way into bars and restaurants. Aside from being a mainstay in drinks such as daiquiris, mixologists use the ice because it quickly melts.

That may seem strange. Why would you want to dilute taste? Some drinks are too thick and strong. Imagine adding Irish cream or coffee liqueur to a stout. Topping it off with a splash of crushed ice helps it go down.

As well as the flavour benefits, it improves presentation. With the rising popularity of craft beer, you probably don’t have trouble selling pints. But try tossing some bottles or tallboys into a bucket filled with crushed ice. On a summer day, you won’t have an open patio seat.

Top mixologists rely on these speciality ices to pack their bar fronts with patrons. With the same tactics and products, so will you.

>>Interested in making jaw-dropping drinks with speciality ice? Contact The Iceman to learn more.

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