By far the most important ingredient for preparing cocktails, ice comes in many forms and used in different ways accordingly.

Sourcing quality ice is an critical part of running a bar, as having plenty of ice on-hand is essential to making good cocktails. In each cocktail recipe, the type of ice used is described, together with the technique used.

Making ice

Ice can either be ordered or made on the premises. There are different ways of making ice yourself. Regardless of the method used, it is essential to use good quality water, preferably bottled or filtered. This helps avoid the taste of chlorine that can sometimes appear in tap water.

The more expensive and perhaps easiest method consists in using an ice machine. Apart from being easy to use, one obvious benefit of using this type of machine is that each ice cube is very similar in size and appearance.

Using ice cube trays is nearly as easy as using an ice machine and often leads to a similar result. To check if ice is ready to be used for making cocktails, look for a dry consistency by touching the ice with your (clean) finger. If you have left ice outside which has started to thaw with some liquid appearing on the surface, it is best to discard it and use fresh ice.

Some bars prefer to use blocks of ice, which they can break up or chip away at depending on the type of ice they need. This can be messy, time consuming and dangerous for someone who has never used this technique and should be avoided until you have gained some experience.

Buying ice

When buying ice ready-made, look for large, square solid cubes about 1 inch thick. This is perfect ice for shaking cocktails. Ice cubes that are shaped like a tube or wafer or that are hollow; are not recommended as they tend to melt faster.

This leads to a cocktail that is overly diluted either after shaking, or too soon after the cocktail is served, not to mention warmer than desired.

Different types of ice

The most common type of ice used when mixing or serving cocktails is ice cubes.

Some cocktails require crushed ice – if so, this is always specified in the recipe. Just like ice cubes, crushed ice can be made at home by placing ice cubes in a blender or ice crusher.

An alternative method is to place ice cubes inside a cotton towel and break the ice using a rolling pin or heavy blunt instrument. Of course, crushed ice can be bought in the same way as ice cubes.

Mixing and serving ice

When mixing ingredients with ice in a shaker, always fill the base of the shaker with around 2/3 ice. This helps ensure the ice chills the drink without melting in the process. Similarly, when pouring a cocktail over ice, it is best to fill the glass with around 2/3 of ice. This ensures the cocktail is colder and the ice lasts longer overall.

There are 2 essential rules to respect when mixing and serving ice for cocktails:

• Always use a strainer to pour the cocktail out of a shaker, so that you never pour the ice into the glass together with the liquid. If you need to serve ice in a cocktail, add fresh ice to the glass and always strain the cocktail before pouring it to serve.
• Never use the same cocktail shaker twice, even if you are mixing the same cocktail again. Always throw away the ice and use fresh ice for each new cocktail.

If you are making a large number of cocktails, it is useful to have a stock of ice cubes and crushed ice close by, preferably just behind the area where you are mixing cocktails. If you happen to break a glass around this area, it is recommended that you melt the ice and clean the surface and container right away. If you’re not able to do so immediately, make sure to mark the ice using bright syrup (such as raspberry) and use ice from another area.