Why Slow-Frozen Ice Cubes Make The Best Drinks

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If you like trying to recreate fancy cocktails at home, you might notice they never look or taste quite the same as what you get at the bar. That doesn't necessarily mean your mixing skills aren't up to scratch — it could come down to the ice. Whether it's crushed or cubed, the ice we make at home in the freezer always comes out cloudy. As it turns out, this is suboptimal for cocktail making.

In high quality cocktail bars, the ice used is completely clear. The reason the bar manager goes to the trouble of acquiring clear ice is about more than just looks (though it's definitely also about looks.) These slow frozen ice cubes are free from the air bubbles and impurities that cause cloudiness. Clear ice is dense ice which melts slower. For a truly excellent cocktail, however, the ice also needs to be handled a certain way — so watch out for these ice cube red flags the next time you're at a bar.

Using cloudy ice in your drinks isn't the end of the world, but the air bubbles can make the drink taste weird — especially if you're making it at home in a freezer where the odors of food can seep in. If ice melts too fast, it will also dilute your drink too quickly, whereas clear ice gives you a longer time frame before you're left with flavored water.

If you want to try this superior form of ice yourself, you can actually do it at home. It's a little more effort, unsurprisingly, but you can pull it off without buying a fancy ice machine. All you need is a mini cooler that will fit in the freezer. By filling this insulated box with water, you'll naturally slow down the freezing process. This encourages air bubbles to settle at the bottom of the ice rather than spread throughout.

Once it's frozen, cut away the bubbly part and chop the ice into blocks — which isn't as hard as it sounds. Just cut into the ice a little bit with a serrated knife and then tap it with an ice mallet to break the piece off. You could also smash it up to make crushed ice, but these will melt faster.

If you prefer to buy equipment rather than go the DIY route, you do have options. Glacio Clear Ice Makers, for example, will make two-inch ice cubes which are perfect for drinking on the rocks. With this method, the tech does all the work; no cutting involved. It's just as easy as making regular, cloudy ice. If you think bagged ice would be easier than all of these options, watch out — it might not be as clean as you think.