Ice Block Techniques That Change Whisky On The Rocks At Home

A whisky on the rocks is all about the ‘rocks’, i.e., the ice, or rather, the ice block used in the drink. When whisky is consumed on the rocks, it’s poured over ice cubes. And how you prepare your ice will impact the taste of the drink. 

A large cube of ice will cool down your whisky while decreasing the speed of the water being released from it, giving your whisky longer to develop its grain, oak, spice, and dried fruit flavour profile. High-end bars regularly use clear and dense cubes of ice, produced through directional or block freezing. You can replicate the process at home. Read ahead to know more. 

Why A Large Ice Block Matters

A large ice cube doesn’t just look elegant. It also influences the temperature, texture, and dilution rates of the whisky when poured into a glass. With small cubes, there is much more exposed surface area versus the actual volume of the small cube, and they melt faster than large cubes. When a large ice cube is used to chill whisky, the water is not added to the whisky too fast, allowing the spirit’s inherent flavours to come across. This slower rate of dilution also benefits cocktails like the Old Fashioned cocktail by allowing for a more controlled dilution and balancing whisky, bitters, and citrus oils.

The Science Behind Clear Ice

The reason many ice cubes made at home look cloudy is that when water freezes, dissolved gases and minerals get trapped because water freezes from all directions at the same time. 

Directed freezing is a process that causes water to freeze slowly from one direction instead of simultaneously freezing from all directions. As the water freezes, the air bubbles and dirt are forced out of the clear part of the ice instead of being trapped in it. This creates a much denser and clearer ice that melts more slowly than other types of ice.

What kind of water is used is also important. Many bartenders use filtered or reverse osmosis (RO) water because the water has fewer dissolved solids. Using RO water helps to produce better-quality ice and fewer visible defects in the cube. Although directional freezing produces the clearest possible ice, using purified water does help to produce more consistent quality and fewer visible defects in the cubes.

How To Make Ice At Home

Are you wondering about how to make ice that is appropriate for whiskies? Utilising a cooler as an insulated box is one of the easiest ways to achieve this.

• RO or filtered water

• Small insulated cooler

• Freezer space

• Sharp serrated knife

• Ice moulds (optional)

1. Fill your insulated cooler with reverse osmosis (RO) water approximately 3/4 full.

2. Make sure the lid is removed, then put the cooler in the freezer.

3. After placing your cooler in the freezer, wait approximately 18-24 hours, allowing enough time for it to freeze.

4. Remove the cooler from the freezer before the ice block completely freezes and becomes solid.

5. Remove the ice from the cooler and separate the top layer of clear ice from the bottom layer of cloudy ice.

6. Cut the top layer of clear ice into large cube shapes similar to what you would use for serving drinks in a rocks glass.

This will yield a clear ice piece for your whisky. Once cut into cubes, preserve them in a sealed container for future use. This will safeguard the flavour from the stench of freezer odours.

How To Make Ice: Common Mistakes To Avoid

Several mistakes can reduce the quality of an ice block.

• Using tap water with high mineral content.

• Freezing the entire block solid.

• Using small tray cubes for whisky on the rocks.

• Storing finished ice uncovered.

• Cutting ice immediately after removal from the freezer.

Let the ice sit for a couple of minutes after coming out of the freezer to help avoid cracking due to thermal temperature changes. In addition, be sure to properly store your ice so that it doesn’t absorb any of the surrounding smells from the freezer.

Large ice blocks can be used for many cocktails, including bourbon, rye whisky, gin, and vodka; the Manhattan cocktail, the Old Fashioned cocktail, and the Negroni cocktail all benefit from the slower dilution effect produced by a large block ice.

Conclusion

If you're looking for an easy way to complement whisky, consider making your own quality ice cubes. Whether that be for your drink on the rocks, or for cocktails like an Old Fashioned cocktail or Manhattan cocktail, slow-melting large cubes will help to manage the amount of dilution, retain flavour, and temperature balance.

Through the use of directional freezing in conjunction with RO water, it's possible to make completely clear and denser than normal ice that can be used for whisky cocktails at home without expensive equipment.

*Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.