The ultimate guide to ice

When creating cocktails at home, it's easy to overlook ice as a key ingredient and to reach for whatever's to hand. If you're wondering why your drinks don't taste as good as when you're sipping them in a bar, however, then that could be your answer!

Ice is central to the flavour and feel of every serve. Whether you're packing it into a shaker to chill your ingredients or blending it up for a fabulous frozen cocktail, it's time to educate yourself on ice so you can enjoy a bar-quality cocktail in the comfort of your own home.

Come with us as we take you through how and why ice is so important to creating your cocktails, and why you should be using ice from The Ice Co. every step of the way.

Standard Ice Cubes

With all the hype around craft ice lately, it's easy to overlook the humble standard ice cube - but it stills serves an important purpose! It's the ice we reach for in the day to day - reliable, familiar and it gets the job done, and it's also key to good cocktails!

The Ice Co. Party Ice should be a permanent fixture in your freezer. For whenever and whatever you need it, The Ice Co. Party Ice will be there to elevate the experience with every cool cube.

Here's why you need to grab a bag of The Ice Co. Party Ice for your freezer ASAP:

1. They're great for mixing cocktails.

Standard-sized ice cubes are the ideal ice for adding to a shaker to mix up your cocktails. You want just enough to chill your cocktail without having so much that you can't completely shut the lid of the shaker, and standard ice is just the stuff for it.

2. They're perfect for a highball.

Long cocktails like highballs benefit greatly from standard ice cubes. They're the ideal size and shape to pack into a tall, narrow glass and keep your cocktail perfectly cool without diluting it and losing any of its lovely flavour.

3. They're ideal for blending.

Fancy a frozen cocktail to combat the mid-summer heat? Standard ice is the way to go! They're easy to fit in a mixer and not so heavy or fine that they struggle to blend, so when mixed with your cocktail ingredients, you'll get a superb slushy consistency every time.

Large Ice Cubes

More and more we're seeing a takeover of large ice cubes, especially in the cocktail world. This isn't without reason, as large ice has many a recently-discovered benefit that truly take a tipple to the next level.

The Ice Co. Super Cubes are the definitive ice to have to hand when you need them. They're super-sized and slow melting, and perfect for elevating any drink or occasion.

Here's why you need The Ice Co. Super Cubes for your next at-home cocktail-making session:

1. They chill without diluting.

Large ice cubes are your best bet for cooling your cocktail without risking dilution, as their large surface area keeps them from melting quickly. They're a favourite in short cocktails served in rocks glasses, like a Negroni, Old Fashioned or Margarita, as well as drinks served in copa or spritz glasses, such as a G&T or an Aperol Spritz.

2. They're fab for fizz.

The surface area of a larger ice cube not only keeps your drink cool, but conserves its sparkle too! They give fizzy cocktails more opportunity to form bubbles than other types of ice, adding to the effervescent experience of sparkling serves.

3. They look the part.

As well as being beneficial to your beverage, large ice cubes give cocktails an effortlessly sleek and sophisticated look. The Ice Co. Super Cubes are made with the finest water and are completely clear, making them a great option for instantly elevating your tipple.

Crushed Ice

Some of the UK's favourite cocktails are poured over crushed ice, and not without reason. Crushed ice cubes can create an ultra-refreshing, irresistibly sippable beverage that is fantastic for enjoying in the sun or if you fancy a longer drink.

The Ice Co. Crushed Ice is perfect for adding that special touch to your tipples. Whether it's for a boozy smoothie or mixing up your favourite cocktail, The Ice Co. Crushed Ice is key to perfecting your drink at the drop of a hat.

Here's how The Ice Co. Crushed Ice can help elevate your cocktails:

1. It's the most effective at cooling.

Packing crushed ice into a drink is the most effective way of chilling your drink quickly. If you're wondering why a Mojito or Moscow Mule goes down so easily, part of it is how cool and refreshing they are due to the amount of ice!

2. It adds the perfect level of dilution.

Some cocktails need a bit of dilution to give the spirits room to breathe and allow the flavours to shine. Crushed ice offers the perfect level of dilution, as the small cubes are the perfect size to melt a little, while being tightly packed means they'll never melt too much.

3. It provides a tantalising texture.

As they melt, crushed ice cubes give a cocktail a lovely slushy-like texture. This is an especially delicious quality for 'frozen' cocktails in the summer, but The Ice Co. Crushed Ice can be used any time of year for an invigorating, easy drinking serve that will go down a treat!