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For many imbibers, the type of ice that’s scooped into a drink is as important as the liquid ingredients. Although all ice pieces have the same mission – to absorb the heat from the warmer-than-ice fluid and, in the process, cool down drinks – all ice is not created equal. There are many different ice forms floating around in glasses out there: cubed, crushed, pellet, block, crescent, balls.
But which frozen water chunk is best for bobbing in our bevvies? Of course, it's subjective. It also depends on the type of drink.
People definitely love pellet ice. Also known as “nugget ice” or “pebble ice,” it’s cylindrical, lightweight and airy with smooth sides and rough ends. Some refer to it as “chewy ice” because it’s softer and easier to sink your teeth into.
Pellet ice is found in refreshments from chains like Sonic, Chick-fil-A and, as of recently, Starbucks. It's also popular in hospitals.
Home versions of pellet ice makers have also gained popularity, but well-rated machines start at $300 and go into the thousands. The high price is due to the complex nature of this particular kind of ice maker that requires mechanisms to scrape up ice crystals and then push them through a tube to mold them into the desired shape.
Foundation, a Riverwest tiki bar located at 2718 N. Bremen St., uses pellet/nugget/pebble ice in their cocktails, from Mai Tais to Zombies to Singapore Slings. Bartender Michael Kotke likes building drinks with it.
“It’s definitely more consistent than crushed ice. Plus, our customers love it. Some refer to it as ‘Sonic ice,’” says Kotke.
Not everyone is a fan of pellet ice, though. Some believe it melts too quickly, watering down the drink and changing the texture.
Lost Whale, 2151 S. Kinickinnic Ave., has a pellet/nugget/pebble ice machine and a ghost ice clear cube system that makes translucent, identical square-shaped ice.
“In the current way we consume drinks, ice is the most used, and arguably the most important, ingredient,” says Lost Whale owner Tripper Duval. “Without ice, the complete landscape of our drink changes.”
Many mixologists agree that the nature of the spirits and other ingredients in the drink determine the best ice to use.
"The ice you use is very important. The larger the cube the slower the dilution. Large cubes or spheres are great for drinking whiskey when you want a little chill and less dilution. Smaller cubes are great where you want more dilution like a margarita," says Guy Rehorst, owner of Great Lakes Distillery & Tasting Room, 616 W. Virginia Ave.
Great Lakes Distillery uses cubes in its cocktails, but slightly larger and clearer than those used by most bars. Rehorst believes that as important as ice cubes are for a cocktail's taste and texture, they offer just as much of an aesthetic appeal.
"The right ice cubes make a drink look beautiful," says Rehorst.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
