When making cocktails, simple tricks and tools can go a long way in expanding the taste and life of a drink. For many drinks, ice plays an important role; but not all ice is created equal. 

Generally, the bigger the ice cubes, the longer the drink lasts. This is because large chunks of ice melt more slowly and as a result don’t dilute the drink as quickly as smaller ice chunks. Some specialty bars even cut ice directly from ice blocks. Others use large ice molds to fit into a rocks glass. There’s no need to dish out big money for special ice machines, there are inexpensive ice molds that work really great. There are a few simple things anyone can do to increase the quality of ice for quality drinks. You’ll find some helpful hints at the end of this article.

There is one exception to the large ice rule, and this applies to juleps or tropical drinks, which require crushed ice. These are drinks that often require stirring too. The smaller ice chunks allow drinks to cool down more quickly and adds an appealing frost to the glass.

Here are some tips for quality ice:

1) Use filtered water to reduce/eliminate the amount of minerals. As the ice melts, the taste gets mixed in with the drink. If fresh water isn’t used, it will negatively affect the taste of the drink.  Avoid tap water.

2) Before freezing the water, boil it and let it cool. For better results, boil and cool twice.  The double boiling eliminates the gasses and air and decomposes the minerals in the water.  This helps to avoid the cloudy look ice can get.

3) Make your ice as needed. Leaving an open tray in your conventional home freezer can invite in unnecessary odors and tastes, which will then transfer to your drinks.

4) Don’t be afraid to get creative when making ice. Use appropriately sized molds in your own freezer and chip off as needed. To crush smaller chunks, wrap the ice around a clean towel and crush to avoid making a mess.

Enjoy!