Science of Ice
- A great cocktail and a so-so one sometimes comes down to ice.
- Since as much as half the volume of a cocktail can be melted ice. Making ice an important factor.
- Is it true that impurities in water lead to cloudy ice?
o The impurities in water, such as dissolved minerals or gases, can make ice cloudy
o You can boil the water. Or distilled water to help with that cloudiness.
o Depends on your tap water. Some water is hardier than others. The hardier (more minerals) water, the cloudier the ice cube.
- The science:
- An ice cube is made of crystallized water molecules.
- When you freeze ice fast, crystals start forming in many different locations simultaneously.
- They automatically align themselves into formation.
- The problem is that if you have a crystal that starts to form in one location. And another crystal starts forming in another. They usually are not aligned. When these structures meet, they will not be able align cleanly. In turn, cracks and imperfections are form. Resulting in cloudy ice.
- 32°F /0°C is ideal for forming a clear ice cube.
o When freezing happens too fast, expansion can leave behind stress lines and cracks.
o Which means if added to a room-temperature cocktail, it will crack.
- If keeping the ice clear for presentation is important you, make sure to chill the drink first, then add the clear ice. So do not supercool your cocktail if presentation is important.
- Starting with hot water
o When hot water freezes, it moves around more due to convection, which can help prevent the crystals from supercooling. In turn, the water will freeze closer to 0°C.
o NOTE: do not use hot water from the tap. It is dirty because it comes from the hot water heater. Boil cold water from the tap instead.
Larger ice cubes melt more slowly
- It is thought that the larger the ice cube, the better cocktail, because larger ice melts more slowly.
- But the contradiction in science the more surface area = faster melting = more dilution.
- You cannot get around that your cocktail will be diluted if you chill it with ice.
- What happens when you add equal masses of small rectangular vs. big spherical ice to a room-temperature glass of Scotch?
o Small ice: the extra surface area of the ice would lead to very fast chilling and dilution. The drink would quickly drop down to around 32°F /0°C.
o Big spheres: chilling and dilution would occur more slowly because spheres have the smallest ratio of surface area to mass. The Scotch surrounding the sphere would eventually chill to 32°F /0°C, but the ice would also melt a bit and probably float
o Whether or not the large ice melted more slowly depends on the insulation of the cup, surrounding temperature, and volume of cocktail to ice.
Silicon Mold
These are awesome for gifts, parties, poker night, or that 4th be with you gala. What a great conversation piece at your next party.
- Ice Cube Trays Silicone Combo Mold – Set of 2, Sphere Ice Ball Maker & Large Square Molds, Reusable and BPA Free: https://amzn.to/2ttNwpa
- Large Ice Cube Tray Set for Whiskey – Silicone Ice Mold Maker – Molds 8 X 2 Inch Ice Cubes (2 Pack): https://amzn.to/2KhRs3i
- Hand Grenade Silicone Mold, Monster-Sized Ice Cube Mold, Set of 2: https://amzn.to/2MkO747
- 4 Pack Flexible & Durable Silicone Sphere Round Ice Cube Molds, Makes 2 Inch Ice Balls: https://amzn.to/2MQIU5q
- 2-Pack Star Wars Death Star Silicone Sphere Ice Ball Maker Mold: https://amzn.to/2lsvUq7
- Star Wars: Han Solo in Carbonite Silicone Ice Tray / Chocolate Mold/ Single Tray: https://amzn.to/2IjxrHO
- Fairly Odd Novelties AK47 Bullet Ice Cube Tray: https://amzn.to/2Mieurx
Colorado Appletini
| 6 ounces | Apple vodka |
| 2 ounces | Pineapple juice |
| 2 ounces | Simple syrup (recommend: https://amzn.to/2IkhJw8 ) |
| 2-3 tablespoon | Sugar (optional) |
In a shaker, add vodka, juice, and syrup. Fill shaker with ice. Shake until you can feel the cool through the shaker.
Optional: wet the rims of the martini glasses. Dip the rims into a dish of sugar to coat rims. Pour the liquid into martini glasses.
Makes 3.
Drunken Gummies
- Put gummies into a flat glass casserole dish. You can use bears, worms, etc.
- We recommend Haribo gummy bears: https://amzn.to/2tptVap
- Make sure they are flat
- Pour vodka over gummies to cover candies
- Cover and place in a cool place over night. At least 20 hours.
- With toothpicks remove gummies and place on a ceramic dish. Do not use paper or they will stick. Keep toothpicks in gummies for serving.
- Serve guests a great treat at BBQ, watch party, tailgate, etc.
Gummy Bear Martini
- 1 oz. (30ml) Raspberry Vodka
- 1 oz. (30ml) Peach Schnapps
- ½ oz. (30ml) Sweet & Sour (see recipe below)
Directions
- Add raspberry vodka, peach schnapps and sweet and sour to an ice filled shaker. Shake well to combine.
- Strain mix into martini glass and garnish with a gummy bear skewer.
DIY Sweet & Sour Mix
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 fluid ounce freshly squeezed lime juice (1/8 cup)
Directions
- Simple syrup is just sugar and water. In a pot, bringing the sugar and water to a boil. Approximately 7 minutes. Stir to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and let cool.
- While the syrup is cooling, strain freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice into a resealable bottle, discarding the pulp if you would like. Most of the time the pulp is strained out. Pour in the cooled simple syrup. Shake until mixed. You can use immediately or refrigerate.
Some of our fav bar tools:
- Stemless martini glasses: https://amzn.to/2JeZJVd
- Cocktail Shaker Bar Tools: https://amzn.to/2JHeq77
- Beautiful Artland Misty martini Glass, Set of 4, 8 oz, Purple: https://amzn.to/2xLMzhx
- Fitz and Floyd Daphne Martini Glasses (Set of 4), Copper: https://amzn.to/2xCF78f
- Zulay Premium Quality Metal Lemon Lime Squeezer: https://amzn.to/2JFES0N
- Maikerry Hand Juicer Catcher Citrus Reamer lemon juicer: https://amzn.to/2HCLcBa
- C&H Professional BAKER’S SUGAR Ultrafine 4lb https://amzn.to/2Je2ciT
DISCLAIMER:
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These recipes, videos, and guides are intended only for responsible adults of legal drinking age in the United States of America (21 years old or older). It is purely intended for entertainment and educational purposes.
Please do NOT drink and drive. If you need transportation, use a designated driver or a taxi service. And please be careful when crossing the street after drinking. Colorado Martini does not advocate or encourage the abuse of alcoholic beverages. Please drink responsibly and with moderation.
We do not, under any circumstances, accept responsibility for any damages that result to yourself or anyone else due to the consumption of alcoholic beverages or the use of this site and any materials located on it. We cannot take any responsibility for the effect these drinks may have on people.
These sound seriously yummy.
So so good