Flavored Ice at Home

Dr. Cork

Campari

Coffee

Gin

Rum

Tequila

Tonic

Vermouth

What if your ice didn’t just dilute your cocktail… but made it taste better as it melted? Today I’m making five flavored ices (hibiscus & rose, cucumber, coffee, ginger, tonic) and building cocktails around each one. The results are seriously next-level.

Ingredients

Alisa (Hibiscus Ice)

2 oz. / 60 ml London Dry Gin
⅔ oz. / 20 ml Liqueur (I used something like Italicus)
⅔ oz. / 20 ml Lemon Juice
⅓ oz. / 10 ml Simple Syrup
2½ oz. / 75 ml Aloe Vera Drink
Shake with regular ice, fine strain over large hibiscus-rose ice sphere in Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with mint.

Melon Cucumber (Cucumber Ice)

1½ oz. / 45 ml White Rum
½ oz. / 15 ml Melon Liqueur (Midori)
⅓ oz. / 10 ml Lemon Juice
5–10 ml Simple Syrup
Top with Soda
Build in rocks glass over cucumber ice. Garnish with mint.

Americano Squared (Coffee Ice)

2 oz. / 60 ml Sweet Vermouth
2 oz. / 60 ml Campari or Cynar
Top with Soda
Build in highball over coffee ice. Garnish with orange peel.

Spicy Paloma (Ginger Ice)

1⅔–2 oz. / 50–60 ml Tequila
⅓ oz. / 10 ml Lime Juice
Top with Grapefruit Soda
Build in highball over ginger ice. Garnish with lime wedge.

Tonic Apple (Tonic Ice)

1½ oz. / 45 ml Calvados
⅔ oz. / 20 ml Campari
½ oz. / 15 ml Apple Syrup
⅓ oz. / 10 ml Lemon Juice
1½ oz. / 45 ml Mineral Water
Top with a splash of Soda
Build in highball over tonic ice. Garnish with apple slice.

Recipe

Hibiscus & Rose Ice

10–12 g (?2 tbsp) dried hibiscus flowers
300 ml (1¼ cups) boiling water
1 tsp food-grade rose water
Pour boiling water over hibiscus flowers. Stir and steep 10–15 minutes. Strain, add rose water, cool completely, pour into mold and freeze.

Cucumber Ice

2 medium cucumbers (?200 g / 1½ cups chopped)
Pinch of salt
60 ml (2 oz) water (you can double the water if you want)
Chop cucumbers, blend with salt and water into pulp. Strain thoroughly: regular sieve ? fine sieve ? wet coffee filter. Pour clear green liquid into mold and freeze.

Coffee Ice

Strong brewed coffee (pour-over, Americano, or strong instant) — cooled
Brew coffee to a strong but drinkable strength. Let it cool completely, pour into ice mold and freeze. That’s it — zero complications.

Ginger Ice

120 g (?½ cup) fresh ginger, roughly chopped (skin on)
25 g (5–6 tsp) sugar
10 ml (⅓ oz) lemon juice
400–500 ml (?2 cups) water
Pinch of salt
Blend everything until smooth. Let it sit 15 minutes for full infusion. Filter well (sieve ? cheesecloth or coffee filter). Pour into mold and freeze. Salt, sugar, and lemon keep it balanced and not too aggressive.

Tonic Ice

Tonic water (any brand)
Optional: a drop of food coloring for drama
Pour tonic into a container. Stir vigorously with a spoon to remove most carbonation. Seal tightly and freeze for a day. Cut into desired shapes once frozen.