Nugget ice has a unique draw. The somewhat soft and chewy little ice pellets made famous by chains such as Sonic have a craveable texture. The pieces are satisfying and easy to chew on, making this ice something of a crowd favorite. At a glance, it seems that nugget ice upgrades any drink, and you might be tempted to use it for everything -– especially if you’ve got a quality ice maker. But before you go tossing nugget ice into your mixed drinks and cocktails, you should take a moment to reconsider your decision.
While nugget ice is certainly desirable in many beverages, when it comes to cocktail crafting, it usually comes up quite short. In truth, unless your cocktail specifically calls for tiny bits of ice (like crushed ice), then you shouldn’t use it. Cocktails, whether shaken or stirred, will become too dilute if you use small pieces of ice compared to larger ice cubes. Since nugget ice is essentially just tightly packed bits of shaved ice, this dilution is even more pronounced. As such, it’s best to leave it in the freezer when it comes to making your favorite cocktails.
Which ice is best for cocktails?
As far as your standard cocktails are concerned, the bigger and the clearer your ice is, the better. In terms of size, you’re likely to experience less dilution with one or two large ice cubes than you would with several smaller ice cubes. This is why many spirit-forward cocktails, such as an old fashioned or a Negroni, are frequently served on a single large cube — the focus is less on keeping the drink as cold as a slushie and more on highlighting the spirit’s flavor. And where clarity is concerned, using clear ice is a smart choice for cocktails. The clearer your ice is, the more uniformly it’s been frozen, thus leading to –- you guessed it -– less dilution, as the consistently frozen ice melts more slowly.
Smaller cubes are good in drinks that require dilution as they are shaken or stirred, like a margarita or martini. They are also good for serving fizzy drinks that you want to keep especially cold. However, the thing to note above all else is that, regardless of size or clarity, it’s important to use fresh ice when making your cocktails. Stale ice, or ice that has taken on other flavors, will alter the end product of your drink. Keep your ice tasting fresh, and your cocktails (and all of your drinks for that matter) will thank you.
Do any cocktails work with nugget ice?
Don’t get us wrong, using nugget ice in traditional cocktails is better than using no ice at all. But a Manhattan or a paper plane isn’t where your nugget ice is going to shine. Since you want to avoid using nugget ice in cocktails that usually require larger chunks that melt more slowly, you instead want to shift your focus to cocktails and other drinks that are meant to be served with lots of small icy bits.
First off, any drink that’s blended with ice is the perfect match for your nugget ice. It breaks apart very easily and can therefore lead to a really satisfying texture in, say, piña coladas, blue Hawaiians, or blended versions of daiquiris and margaritas. It can also work a treat in cocktails that normally use crushed or shaved ice, such as the classic mint julep, certain swizzle cocktails, or even crushed ice versions of mule cocktails. So don’t worry; that nugget ice machine can still be a steady workhorse in your cocktail crafting.
