How to Make Clear Ice

If you’re a cocktail enthusiast, you know that clear ice is not only on-trend but an essential ingredient for a great craft cocktail. However, not all ice is created equal. Clear ice is the preferred type of ice for spirit-forward cocktails because, without air bubbles and impurities, there is more mass which in turn melts slower and dilutes your cocktails at a slower pace ensuring your drink doesn’t become watered down too quickly. Clear ice is an essential component in many craft cocktails and mocktails, as it looks amazing and melts slower than your typical cloudy white ice full of air bubbles and impurities. In this blog post, we will talk about the options for having clear ice behind the bar in your restaurant and at home.

Directional Freezing

The Directional freezing method involves freezing water in an insulated container with an open top. This allows the cold air from the freezer to freeze the water inside the insulated container from the top-down freezing directionally. Allowing the water to freeze slowly and push the air bubbles and impurities to the bottom of the container as it freezes resulting in clear ice where the water first starts to freeze. Similar to how a lake would freeze in nature.

There are several ways to achieve clear ice utilizing this method. One way is to fill a small cooler with water and freeze it without the lid. Essentially, freezing a block of ice. This is one of the easiest ways to make clear ice however it comes with labor and time involved in that you have to process the ice to cut down to cubes or whatever shape you want which can be tedious, time-consuming, and messy. Not to mention take up precious real estate space in your freezer.

The most efficient and operationally easy way I have found to make clear ice cubes consistently and hassle-free is with a clear ice mold product such as the Tuxedo Clear Ice Kit. Tuxedo Clear Ice Kits utilize the directional freezing method allowing you to use tap water to create crystal-clear ice cubes. With a unique product design Tuxedo Clear Ice has a large cube ice mold that allows you to pop it out when frozen and release 8 beautiful, clear ice cubes easily and consistently time after time. Free of mess and time involved in forming and cutting down ice from a cumbersome block and not requiring any special tools or taking up valuable freezer space. You can purchase a Tuxedo Clear Ice Kit here: Buy Now

Purchase Pre-Made, Pre-Cut Ice Cubes

There are a number of companies that produce clear ice cubes available for delivery and purchase that take out all of the work involved. While it might be hard to find in remote areas of the country most metro areas have options available for consumers. While this could be an option for a large event in which you might need a great quantity of ice quickly it can be quite costly for smaller quantities can be around $2.50 or more PER CUBE without a way to recoup the cost over time.

Commercial Clear Ice Machines

Using a commercial ice machine to produce clear ice comes with its own set of pros and cons.  On the positive side, they are designed to produce clear ice products consistently and with larger production capacity and higher output volume with faster freezing times than traditional methods. This can be a great option for large-volume restaurants and bars that have large operating budgets.

However, there are also some drawbacks to using commercial ice machines as well. One major concern is the high cost. These machines tend to be expensive (starting at a few thousand dollars) and not very accessible to individual consumers. Typically you will still have to use skilled labor to cut down and process the ice into cubes as the machines typically create big blocks of clear ice that need further processing. They also require a significant amount of space, and power to operate which for a lot of restaurants and bars space is at a premium. Along with any machine comes maintenance and cleaning required to keep bacteria and mineral deposits from building up which affects the clarity and taste of the ice. Noise can also be an issue, as these machines can be quite loud during operation. Lastly, the complexity of commercial ice machines may necessitate professional assistance for installation, repairs, and troubleshooting adding further overall cost and inconvenience.

Final Thoughts

We have covered multiple options for creating clear ice and in conclusion, using a clear ice mold such as Tuxedo Clear Ice Kit can provide significant cost, labor and time savings with better more consistent results compared to making and cutting down ice from large blocks or expensive machinery. For bar programs/mixologists this can save labor dollars and precious time. It can be difficult to achieve uniformity in the size and shape of the ice pieces when cutting down yourself leading to inconsistencies in the cocktails you serve, affecting the flavor and presentation. As a bartender, time is a valuable commodity, and Tuxedo Clear Ice Kits can help you save time and focus on other tasks, ultimately leading to a more efficient and profitable operation and a premium consistent cocktail experience for your guests.