This is a mistake. Although its effects may be subtle, ice is an integral part of a properly made cocktail, and shouldn’t be ignored.
The most obvious consideration is flavor.
Like many other items, ice will absorb odors in the freezer, so ice that spent too much time too close to the catch of the day may give a cocktail an unpleasant fishy tinge.
Some areas have extremely hard water, with a high mineral content and sometimes a distinctive taste. Ice made with this water will also have that taste, which will slightly change the flavor of a drink. The same sort of situation occurs using softened water. Water softener systems work by adding large amounts of sodium to the water. Change the flavor of the water, change the flavor of the ice.
Many restaurants and bars avoid these flavor fluctuations by using water filtration systems. It’s probably not a necessary investment for home use, but an amateur mixologist dissatisfied with their results may find it to be a variable worth experimenting with.
Lump, cracked, or crushed?
One of the downsides of the fancy commercial ice machines is the cubes created. Modern machines are designed for speed of production and a shape that fills the glass more completely, creating the illusion of a full glass with less liquid. This is great for the bottom line, but has an unfortunate side-effect on cocktails. The size and shape of these modern ice cubes cause them to melt quickly, and they fail to chill the cocktail properly before melting and over-diluting the drink.
Early cocktail recipes listed only a few kinds of ice – block, lump or cubed, cracked, and snow. Block ice is rarely seen these days, but it was the standard in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Ice was delivered in large blocks, and the consumer used an ice pick, ice hammer, or ice rasp to create the end result.
Most cocktails benefit most from lump ice, or large cubes, especially for liquors or liqueurs served on the rocks on in a highball. The large cubes melt more slowly, chilling the drink without diluting it excessively. Grandma’s old ice cube trays may be a nuisance to dump and refill, but they make a lovely size cube of ice.
Cracked ice is good for sweet drinks, and of course for juices or soft drinks. No special equipment is needed – simply wrap large ice cubes in a clean dish towel and whack them with something, such as a heavy serving spoon. Cracked ice is also a necessity when making blender drinks. Large lumps of ice don’t break down completely, and can put a strain on the blender.
