How to Make Clear Ice for Drinks

How to Make Clear Ice for Drinks

For many, when we go to a bar or see an image online of a cocktail, we all see the clear ice. This guide is to show you how to make clear ice at home so you can enjoy a nice looking drink yourself and impress any friends and family you may have over.

There are a few things to have and know before hand so I’ll get those out of the way.

Tools:

1. Insulated Cooler with a detachable lid (Mine is 5 Quarts)
2. A long serrated Knife (Preferably a bread knife)
3. A hammer.
4. Towels for both under the cutting board, and drying your hands.

Notes:

1. This process takes at least 24 hours up to 48, so if you are planning on making clear ice the day of, you will need to wait. (I tend to set an alarm for 25 hours after I put in the freezer just to make sure it actually froze)
2. I would suggest using filtered water for this because in my experience it seems to work the best and in most places, the tap water adds a taste that you won’t want in a cocktail, but if this does not matter to you, use tap water.
3. The way the ice freezes is called directional freezing. In this instance when you freeze the water, it will freeze from the top down. This allows the side open to the freezer to freeze first and force the impurities in the water to the bottom, leaving clear ice above.
4. If you freeze more than 24 hours and closer to 48 hours, you will run the risk of having a solid block of ice that will take longer to cut, but it still will able to be done. This also freezes the water with the impurities, so you’ll have to remove that part before continuing to the clear section.
5. I tend to get around 16 cubes of ice from this, so you can keep your cut cubes in your cooler in the freezer or Ziploc bags in the freezer.
6. Make sure to keep your hands as dry as possible.
7. Some people tend to say that clear ice will melt slower than ones with impurities and there are many arguments on both sides. I personally like using clear ice in my cocktails because it looks nice and if it does melt slower, then it is just a bonus. I will say that when I make a cocktail (mostly an old fashioned) the ice that I use tends to still be there in some form by the time I finish my drink.

Dangers:

1. You will be using a sharp knife on a wet surface, so take your time. The ice may also be quite sharp depending on how it breaks.

Directions:

1. Once you have your cooler, remove the lid and fill with filtered water until at least in inch from the top as the ice will expand when freezing.
2. Place on a flat surface in your freezer with the lid off.
3. Freeze for at least 24 hours.
4. When the ice is ready, set the cooler on the counter while you prepare your surface.
5. Add a beach towel or bath towel on your counter and place a cutting board on top. (You can place a lid of some kind over a sink if you prefer as there will be water)
6. Flip the cooler over onto the cutting board, wait until you hear the ice separate from the cooler. There may be water at this stage or not if the sides of the ice are sealed.
7. I tend to carry the cutting board to my sink and punch a small hole where the water meets the clear ice and drain the air pocket of water.
8. Smash the ice around the air pocket and carefully use your knife to create as flat a surface as possible on top of your clear ice.
9. Then, using your knife, score your ice width wise and gently tap the back of your knife along the spine with your hammer. Your ice should break along the line you made and from there simply cut your ice to your desired size and shape.
10. Congratulations: you have now made your very own clear ice for your drinks at home!

Below are some photos I took during the process to help give you a guide.