How to Make Clear Ice Cubes
We’ve all seen the pictures, videos, TV shows and Tiktoks where a cocktail is presented by a bartender with a stunning, clear piece of ice placed in the liquid like a centerpiece on a table. This might surprise you, but that’s not Photoshop or special effects. Clear ice cubes (and spheres) are a real thing, and while you can make them at home, we have a much easier solution we’re going to share with you.
What Are Clear Ice Cubes?
Clear ice cubes are a type of craft ice and are exactly what they sound like: ice cubes that are perfectly clear. When the light shines on them in a cocktail, they reflect the color of the environment and liquid around them. Clear ice creates a top-tier, high-quality experience, and it’s something many consumers want to create or have at home when they make cocktails for themselves or friends and family.
Be warned, making clear ice yourself isn’t the easiest thing to do.
How to Make Clear Ice Cubes?
You can make clear ice cubes at home, but it requires a bit of extra work and tools to ensure your ice is clear. There are plenty of molds and special coolers you can purchase that will help you create clear ice cubes. You can use any type of water, including tap, filtered, and even distilled, but it’s important to know that depending on the quality of your tap water, you may have difficulty getting it perfectly clear. It can also have a mild flavor attached to it, that, when the ice melts, will be transferred to your drink.
If you want to make clear ice without purchasing special molds or devices, you can try using a small drink cooler. This is not something you’d do when you are ready to make a drink. Rather, you’d need to make the ice ahead of time.
Here’s what you need:
Warm water (tap, filtered, or distilled, your choice)
Small, hard drink cooler
Large freezer
Serrated knife
Ice pick (optional)
Step 1: Place warm water in a cooler and freeze it.
You can use any kind of water, but you want it to be warm—not hot. Leave the lid off the cooler and place it into your freezer. (This is what we mean by it not being easy. Who has space for a cooler in their freezer?)
Step 2: Don’t touch the cooler for 24 hours.
The goal of this process is to get the ice to freeze from the top down. This will ensure any sediment in the water settles to the bottom and the water at the top is clear. The sides will be protected by the cooler, so they won’t freeze as quickly and create a cloudy ice cube.
Step 3: Remove the ice.
If you have an ice pick, you can use it or a knife to cut up the ice into cubes. If you prefer to cut outside of the cooler, turn the cooler upside down in the sink, and the ice block will either slide out on its own or, with a shake, come out with a little bit of effort.
Step 4: Shape your ice.
Using a towel to hold the ice, cut the ice (or use that ice pick to break the ice) into your desired shape.* Cubes and sticks are both popular for cocktails and function similarly.
*Warning: Please don’t do this if you are not experienced with an ice pick, but if you decide to do it anyway, watch your fingers. Also, if you don’t have amazing hand-eye coordination, please don’t try this. And always remember, we are not liable for anyone that injures themselves in this process. Seriously.
Step 5: Store your ice.
Once you’ve got the ice looking like how you want it to, you can store it in a closed container in your freezer. Don’t despair if you open the container up and the ice looks frosted. Let it sit for a couple of minutes, and it will be ready to add to your drinks.
Sound like a lot of work? We have another option for you. Purchase your craft clear ice cubes.
Where to Buy Clear Ice Cubes?
Not everyone has the time, tools, skills, or inclination to create their own clear ice. And really, why go through all that work when you can add high-quality, handcrafted clear ice to your drinks any time you want a cocktail?
Quari ice is clear, slow to melt, and handcrafted through a proprietary process of purification, filtration, and freezing that ensures our craft cube ice and sphere ice is crystal clear. Our craft ice is designed to keep your drinks cold without watering them down or adding any unwelcome flavors. Best of all, there are no ice picks or coolers required.