Search
Country
Bahamas
Brazil
Costa Rica
Cuba
Philippines
Honduras
Indonesia
Isole Canarie
Italy
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Peru
Dominican Rep.
U.S.A.
Size
Churchill
Corona Gorda
Double Corona
Gordo
Gran Corona
Lancero/Panetela
Lonsdale
Perfecto
Petit Corona/Corona
Petit Robusto
Piramide/Torpedo
Robusto
Salomone/Diadema
Shorts
Toro
Troncoconico
Price
Under 6
6-10
10-15
15-20
20-30
Above 30
Strength
Light
Medium-light
Medium
Medium-full
Full
Rating
95-100
90-94
85-89
80-84
Below 80
Generic filters
Flavor profile
Cocoa
Creamy
Earth
Herbs
Leather
Nuts
Roasted
Smoky
Spices
Sweet
Vegetal
Wood
Search
Spirit type
Armagnac
Cognac
Rum
Whisky
Country
Antigua
Barbados
Canada
Cuba
England
France
India
Ireland
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Martinique
Netherlands
Scotland
Taiwan
Trinidad and Tobago
United States
Sweden
Wales
Guadalupe
Panama
Dominican Rep.
ABV
38.0-39.9%
40.0-43.0%
43.1-46.0%
46.1-50.0%
50.1-55.0%
over 55.0%
OB or IB
OB
IB
Price
under 50
50-100
100-250
250-500
over 500
Rating
95-100
90-94
85-89
80-84
Below 80
Generic filters
Flavor profile
Cereal
Floral
Fruity
Honey
Marine
Peated
Sherried
Spices
Sweet
Winey
Wood

The ice in the drinks

The ice in the drinks

The ice in the drinks 800 522 Nicola Ruggiero

ice ball

Ice is the most important ingredient in the preparation of a good drink, not only because it cools, but because it helps to keep the proportions between the ingredients, diluting them and lowering the alcoholic tenor. There are multiple typologies of ice on the market, with different forms, dimensions and quality.

Why does the ice cool? The heat tends to move from a higher temperatures zone to zones with lower temperatures. Think about a container with isolated sides, with no heat exchange with the outside and containing a liquid and some ice. In this case, a heat shift from the liquid (having a higher temperature) to the ice will happen. Thus, we will have the cooling of the liquid and the heating of the ice, until there will be a new thermic balance. For this reason, there is no cooling without dilution and because of this, it is good to use a lot of ice for the creation of a good drink. Here is where the typology of ice to use comes in to play, depending on what we want to cool.

A cocktail needs a different typology of ice compared to a drink that is served in a small dose, like a whisky. The reason is simple: if it is not possible to completely immerse the ice into the drink, it is better to use larger dimension ice, so that a minor surface of ice is in contact with the liquid. This makes the ice heating up slowlier, melting for a longer period of time and diluting less our drink.

An example is the Japanese method of processing the ice, consisting in carving the classic forms, like balls, cubes and chunks (pieces of irregular ice), out of big blocks, in a way that the surface in contact with the liquid is minor.