An ice trick for perfect summer drinks

WHEN most of us fix up a zingy G&T or Aperol spritz at home, ice is an afterthought – thrown in at the end.

But the secret to a perfectly cooling glass of your favourite tipple is to spend a bit of time creating quality cubes, experts reveal.

One top tip is to use crescentshaped ice, which has less surface area than cubes and is therefore slower to melt. Tap water, apparate ently, is second-rate when it comes to classy ice because traces of minerals and chemicals can cause cloudiness.

Instead, ambitious drinks makers should reach for purified water that has had all minerals and debris removed by distillation. An alternative method is boiling water before freezing, to remove the tiny air bubbles that can cause cloudiness. Perfectionists in the cocktail-making community even recommend boiling it twice.

As the water cools, cover it to prevent dust contamination. At this point, it can be poured into moulds and frozen. ‘If you want to impress your guests you can get circular moulds to creperfectly round ice balls,’ said Denis Broci, director of bars at the Mayfair luxury hotel Claridge’s.

Or to emulate the huge hand-chiselled ice cubes often used in cocktail bars, pour water into a large plastic container or a picnic cooler and leave for 48 hours, said Mr Broci. ‘Normally ice freezes from each side and that’s when it becomes very cloudy, so a cooler is perfect because the ice only freezes from the top down. That means at least half of the block will be completely clear. Then you shape the top half and use a knife to cut the perfect-size blocks. There are amazing tutorials on YouTube.’

However, at home, Mr Broci avoids this time-intensive method. ‘Normally I like to get a knife and cut rough, larger blocks to enjoy in a negroni with a nice wedge of orange,’ he said.