Crushed Ice
Also known as: ice chips
In short
Crushed ice is broken ice with maximum surface area: it chills lightning fast and builds an icy mountain in the glass for drinks like the julep and the smash. We explain when fast cold is exactly right.
In depth
What is crushed ice?
Crushed ice is ice broken into splinters or small pieces, depending on the machine almost like snow. In the glass it forms a dense mountain of ice that surrounds the drink from all sides.
Why it chills so fast
The trick is surface area. Many small pieces together have far more cooling surface than one large cube. Heat is released lightning fast, and the drink dilutes just as fast in the process. Drinks with crushed ice are built for exactly that: lots of flavour, lots of spirit, finished before the ice wins the race.
Classics with crushed ice
- Julep: mint and bourbon over a mountain of ice
- Smash: the julep's small, fresh relative
- Mule: served ice cold in its copper mug
How it gets to the bar
The classic way is a Lewis bag: the cubes go into the canvas bag and get crushed with a wooden mallet. In many bars a machine or a crusher does the work. Both deliver the same result: lots of surface, lots of cold.
Remember this one
The cube makes the calm, crushed ice makes the cold, clear ice makes the show.
At our lounge
When we build a drink with crushed ice, it is because it works best that way: ice cold, fresh, finished before it waters down. Try a classic from the family, the ice makes the difference.