When you’re making the perfect cocktail, every ingredient is there to impart a new and exciting flavor. Now we’re thinking…ice is an ingredient, right?

Cocktail ingredients vary, so why not switch up your ice cubes too? If it can be frozen, you can make an ice cube out of it. And different ice cubes can add even more pizazz to your cocktails! Concocting your signature Bloody Mary? Freeze up a 1:1 mixture of V8 and clamato juice. Mojitos? Lime juice and mint leaves.

So don’t just stir – melt! The right juice or purée can be your secret weapon when mixing up your signature drinks. You can make ice cubes out of a combination of any cocktail mixer that will freeze solid:

Cranberry juice
Tea
Coffee
Apple juice
Lemon or Lime juice
Grapefruit or Orange juice
Lemonade or Limeade
Purées – Watermelon is very good for this

And you can freeze whatever you like inside your custom cubes:

Berries & Cherries
Orange or Lemon wedges
Edible flowers or flower petals (rose petals are particularly striking)
Herbs like Thyme, Rosemary, Sage, or Basil
Vegetables and garnishes (celery leaves, jalapeños, pickled mushrooms) for savory drinks

Think of it—how cool would a mojito be with ice cubes made of fresh lime juice with mint leaves frozen inside? What about a Bloody Mary featuring V8 cubes with stuffed olives or roasted garlic cloves embedded in them? Or a Riverbank Refresher with a lime juice cube containing real lavender?

And presentation is only half the fun. You can work on your mad scientist reputation by serving your friends a Shorewood Old Fashioned that gets sweeter (ice cubes made with simple syrup and cherry juice), a Day On the Lakes that keeps getting more tart as the ice melts (grapefruit juice ice cubes), or a Cinnamon Sour that gets stronger and stronger (lemon juice ice cubes).

Flavor isn’t the only thing to consider (though it’s our favorite part of a cocktail). Aesthetics goes a long way too!

If you’re making a clear drink (we’re thinking vodka drinks and various clear martinis), you can freeze edible flowers and flower petals, fresh herbs, and more in ice cubes made with distilled water. The clear cubes show off your impressive ingredients and add a burst of color to the drink. They can still be used as a time-release of new flavor if you like! How awesome would it be to hand your guests a Lakeview & tonic with lilacs or violets in the ice to brighten their day?

If you’re feeling adventurous, cuttlefish ink can be frozen in the middle of a V8 cube to darken your bloody Mary as it’s released (it has a slight seafood taste, so not for fruity drinks). You can also buy glittering or iridescent food coloring to change the look of drinks as it escapes from your magic ice cubes!

Things to remember when creating your cubes:

If you’re freezing garnishes in water for clear cocktails, use filtered water to cut down on bubbles, which can cloud your ice cubes.
Fresh ingredients are always best!
Food coloring can add a vivid tint to your cubes without changing the flavor
You can freeze ice cubes in layers for half & half flavors or striped colors
Keep your ice cubes in a Ziploc bag to free up your tray for other flavors
Silicone ice strays are resilient, easy to work with, and a breeze to clean

You’re sure to create a buzz with your specialty cocktails, and all it takes is an ice tray and some creativity. Go all in. Experiment a little. Once you dial in the perfect juice cube, the only thing cooler than your cocktails will be you!

Speaking of cool, juice cubes can be a fun NA treat. Pour juice into your ice tray, cover the tray with cling wrap, and poke toothpicks through the wrap (to keep them in place) and into the juice. Pop the tray in the freezer for tiny little popsicles!

Do you have a favorite ice ingredient we missed? Drop us a line on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter and let us know!

Locally distilled in Plover, Wisconsin.

Celebrate Life Responsibly