You Can Keep Cocktails Cold Without Ice

Ice has become an integral part of cocktail culture, but there are good reasons to go without it. You avoid over-diluting the drink, it’s more environmentally friendly, and you can be the forerunner of the scaffa (room temperature drinks) trend. Or maybe you’re here because you just ran out of ice. Happens. Luckily, you don’t need ice to enjoy a frosty drink. Here are some tips on how to make a cold smoothie and keep it ice-free.

Start with cold ingredients

You haven’t warmed the scaffa cocktails to room temperature yet, and that’s fine. Prepare a cold drink, starting with the coldest cocktail ingredients you can. Store mixers and syrups in the back of the refrigerator where the temperature is always at its lowest. You can also leave any slices of citrus fruits, ginger or even greens here. If you want to simulate the dissolution of ice into whiskey, leave some water here as well. Store spirits in the freezer and wine, beer, and liqueurs in the back of the refrigerator for at least two hours before starting mixology.

Cup Matters

Use chilled shakers and cocktail cups. If you pour a cold dose of whiskey into a warm cup, you will get rid of the cold, and your cocktail will suddenly become warmer before you even take your first sip. To keep the cold as long as possible, make the vessel as cold as possible. Place shakers, cocktail glasses and stirring spoons in the freezer before making a drink.

The cups with which you serve guests should also be cold, and even better, use vessels with double walls. They are absolute heroes for keeping drinks at any desired temperature, hot or cold. Often, double-walled insulating vessels come in the form of water bottles and glasses, but glasses are becoming more and more popular. However, there is something to be said about the ability of a thermos with a lid to hold the temperature. I’m a Klin Cantin fan. It may not be as cute as a martini glass, but it will keep you cold for 145 hours .

If you’re using regular glasses, put them in the freezer for 30 minutes before guests arrive, or use this easy method to chill your glasses in just a few minutes. Klean Kanteens and other vacuum insulated containers should generally not be placed in the freezer ahead of time, or ever, as this could damage the structure. It is insulated, so if you put it in the refrigerator or freezer, it will still get cold outside.

How to make a cocktail without ice

Why shake a cocktail if there is no ice in it? Shaking is an opportunity to aerate and mix ingredients, and you can do it without uneven ice cubes. It lacks the dilution factor that you get from ice cubes during a cocktail, but this can be explained by a small amount of cold water from the refrigerator. Punch recommends diluting between 20 and 25 percent of the total volume of the shake. For the Campari shakerato, add the cold ingredients to an ice-cold shaker along with the calculated amount of cold water and a source from a cocktail strainer, or you can even buy wire ball beaters for this purpose. Shake vigorously before pouring into a chilled glass.

When making a cocktail, such as a Manhattan or a Martini, be sure to use tools and ingredients that are as chilled as possible. Since stirred drinks are healthy, they all had to spend some time in the freezer. In a chilled glass or insulated thermos, add all the ingredients, including the calculated amount of cold water, to make up for the missing ice. Stir gently. If you’re not quite ready to serve your drink, you can bottle it up and store the entire bottle in the freezer.

For any cocktails containing juices or carbonated drinks, such as the Moscow Mule or Mai Tai, use chilled glasses and ingredients as before and make a cocktail with freezer-chilled alcoholic ingredients. Then add non-carbonated mixers and add any fizzy ingredients to the drink. Mix lightly and serve.

Package your cocktails

If you’re hosting a party or even a small social get-together and you know you’ll be making large quantities of a particular drink, you can bag it up and refrigerate it. Not only will this help you lighten up your night, but you can be sure your drinks won’t start to get hot while you’re mixing, shaking, or stirring. Depending on the cocktail and its alcohol content, you can store it in the refrigerator or freezer.

If you prefer very strong shakes that are all alcohol and not water-based ingredients like juices, you can store them in the freezer and keep them there for optimal cooling. Simply prepare your smoothie as usual with all the strong ingredients, pour it directly into a bottle or container, and then place it in the freezer. The high alcohol content (about 40% and above) will prevent the cocktail from becoming cloudy. Strong drinks such as martinis, sazeracs and negronies can be stored in the freezer and dispensed from there. Just remember to dilute the drink to make up for the missing ice.

Since you’re aiming for anywhere between 20 to 25 percent thinning of the total shake, be aware that you may need to adjust the temperature in your freezer to prevent the mixture from becoming runny due to the added water. If this seems unreasonable to you, calculate the required amount of cold water from the refrigerator and keep it chilled until guests arrive. Then add it to the party just before the party starts. From now on, the prepared cocktail can be stored in the refrigerator so that it does not freeze.

Refrigerate cocktail parties that contain more additives, such as juices, syrups, syrups, or other ingredients that can freeze, so you don’t find your drink frozen an hour after the party. Then pour into a nearby double-walled cup. Sure, you might not look cool with an icy, old-fashioned, aluminum-insulated thermos, but your drink without ice will be pretty damn cold.