THE SCIENCE OF “ICE WITH BOOZE”
“Ice at 32° Fahrenheit (0° Celsius) can chill a cocktail below 32° Fahrenheit (0° Celsius). In fact, ice-chilled cocktails are routinely as cold as 21°F (−6°C). Some people have a difficult time believing this important fact. They think their ice must have started below 32°F to make their cocktail that cold.” ~Dave Arnold, Liquid Intelligence
Here’s the thing about frozen, there’s a little bit of biology involved.
Frozen tends not to give off as much aroma for one, and an atomizer can spritz some of that, or even a twist will work. But that’s not the important part.
When frozen hits the tongue it numbs the tastebuds pretty quickly, at least the top and tip. The others get cold too and lose a little sensitivity (think going outside in winter without gloves on and throwing snowballs, and then trying to feel your keys. It’s not the same as when your hands are warm).
So what you need to do is what ice cream companies do and over sweeten, over flavor the frozen drinks. Essentially you’re making it different than the rocks or up version. Plus its more diluted since they’re consuming all of the ice as part of the drink. If you’ve ever let ice cream melt in a bowel and drank it slowly you’ll recognize that it’s way too sweet when warm and melted.
That’s the way I learned to make frozen drinks when I started, and I’ve never had anything frozen returned. Sometimes, if possible, I’ll double up on the sweet and use less strong, but use overproof so they’re getting a real drink. Do adjustments and taste the result with a straw to see how you’re doing.
Ice used to be a luxury, cut from frozen rivers and transported over great distances to be stored and used in homes. Recently, bartenders have started focusing more on using high-quality ice, as the right type of ice can greatly improve a drink while poor quality ice can spoil it. It’s important to use fresh ice for the best results, and to match the ice to the type of drink.
The temperature and dilution rate of ice can affect how a cocktail tastes. Drinks with colder ingredients are harder to taste than those that are a bit warmer, so careful planning is needed to balance the flavors and timing of consumption.
Crushed ice cools drinks quickly and is often used in summer beverages like juleps, but it also melts fast, which can water down a drink. On the other hand, larger ice cubes melt slower and are ideal for classic cocktails like Old Fashioneds and Negronis. These bigger cubes are less likely to break into smaller pieces when shaken, helping to prevent the drink from becoming too diluted too quickly.
Site Author, David Jonathan Curtis: David Jonathan Curtis, a seasoned professional in his fifth decade of bartending and bar management, began his career in Midtown Manhattan, NY, tending and managing bars before diving into Manhattan’s bustling nightlife scene. Over the years, he has mastered high-volume, high-pressure bartending as the lead bartender in both iconic Midtown clubs and Wall Street bars, generating over $1,350,000.00 annually in personal drink sales. He has since extended his expertise to establishments in Georgia and now Tampa, Florida. David’s roles as a Bartending Instructor at the American Bartending School in Tampa, while maintaining a second job bartending, and his years experience of managing bars, and working as a Brand Ambassador along with his extensive professional library of over 1,000 bartending books, highlight his dedication to continually refining his craft. He holds a diploma in Bar Management and is BarSmarts certified by Pernod Ricard.
