Ice Cutting and Molds! - what is the proper ice?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 29 чер 2024
- Today we're talking all things ice! Recently I've received some questions regarding the ice I use to serve a drink and the ice I use for mixing. So cloudy, clear, cutting, and molds, we'll touch on it all. In a professional setting, it's easy to get spoiled by the commercial machines that offer an effortlessly perfect cube in large quantities. However, when mixing at home, it's not always convenient to have that perfect ice, but don't be discouraged. What's most important to remember is controlling your dilution, and knowing the rate at which your ice will melt. These are techniques I use. Cheers!
Patreon: / anderserickson
TIME STAMPS
Intro: 0:00
Mixing Ice: 1:24
Serving Ice: 4:23
Carving: 6:30
Sign Off: 11:00
THE TOOLS
Silicone ice tray with lid (set of 2): amzn.to/3prA4Oi
Mini cooler by Coleman: amzn.to/2Mw9W6l
Water pitcher with filter: amzn.to/3pArOeR
Serrated knife: amzn.to/3r7AWIv
Wooden ice mallet: amzn.to/2JhCgZ6
Anvil ice pick: amzn.to/3B2Qm5V
Pitchfork ice pick: amzn.to/3B3dOQu
Ice tongs: amzn.to/3cvNYLE
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
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Co-produced with the lovely Azusa "Az" Inaba 🎥 🎨
Every bartender has their own opinions on the best ice for cocktails. Crystal clear? Perfect cube? Ice sphere? What’s your style? What are your thoughts on freezer cam? Important questions.
Hope you enjoy the video. Cheers! 😊 🧊
Time stamps 👇👇
Intro: 0:00
Mixing Ice: 1:24
Serving Ice: 4:23
Carving: 6:30
Sign Off: 11:00
You're too cute!
@Austin Gunther that first break is key. If you’re patient with the break you'll be rewarded. I'm always tempted to chip through the ice, but the idea is to repeatedly just weaken it where you want it to crack - the ice will split on its own when ready. I hope that makes sense 🤔Good luck, Austin!
Hi Anders, What is your take on Whisky stones / rocks / steel cubes etc.
Totally agree
Your directional freezing technique is good, however, did you try making clear ice of cooled boiled water, it will result in clear ice without utilising much time resources, make small clear ice cubes in regular ice trays, do try and let know👍
Anders, you are my favorite bartender on UA-cam. Your content is high quality, and your attitude is unpretentious and approachable but still focuses on "next level" bartending. Keep up the good work, it only gets better from here for you.
Thanks for the kind words, Lee! It really means so much, and I’m glad you’re enjoying the videos!
This guy deserves far more views....dude collab with barfly or greg!
Thanks for the support! Cheers!
Quick tip. If u don't have enough room for a cooler in your freezer, you can use am insulated thermos water bottle and follow the same instructions. I have a small freezer and I found that it works flawlessly and ends in a perfect size for a rocks glass. I usually cut it in half and have enough for 2 drinks. It takes longer to collect a bag but it works.
Oh! If u have a french door fridge like me, make sure to secure them with other things so when you pull out the drawer, it doesn't spill.
oh thanks ! i will try that
ah fuck late response but thank you, i have a fridge freezer combo so maybe itll work
Especially if you freeze it for less than a day, in which case there is no cutting out anything, since the bottom which would be cloudy is still water and you just get a perfectly sized piece of crystal clear ice.
I am just going to say it straight away - You are definitely the most underrated bartender on UA-cam. Your videos are perfectly cut, the cinematics are awesome... I am just running out of words man
Thank you for the kind words! We put a lot of love into these videos, so it makes me so happy to hear you’re finding them helpful. Cheers to you! 🥃
I love the “welcome back friends” opening
Ok, so i just wanted to say that as i was scrolling down the comments i noticed how attentive you are about reading people comments. I see so many that youve reacted and replied to. It's very refreshing i guess you could say to see a youtuber like yourself to be so attentive to your viewers. It's one of the many reasons why you are so amazing at what you do. Thank you Anders. :)
Thanks, Joshua! I can't always respond to every post, but I do my best to keep up. Thank you for the kind words - cheers! 🥃
Very Cool! I was a Garbageman in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks for 23 years. I have quite a collection of coolers. International Visitors know they won’t be flying with their brand new cooler, so many of them just throw them out! Or even sit them next to the trash bins. Also we have a hard rock well just outside Sequoia and our water is delicious! Cheers! Almost Bourbon time!
Anders, I just completed this process and it worked really well!! I appreciate your channel and I have really expanded my cocktail palette. Keep it up! Happy weekend!
Anders, I’m fairly new to your work and am already addicted. Working on my cocktail craft and since it’s going to be 9° here in Michigan tonight, I’m also going to make some clear ice. Keep bringing me your quality videos, I love everything about them! Thanks!
Amazing! Thank you so much! I'll now have always clear ice on my freezer and know my friends will be impressed when I start serving solid clear ice. Really liked that you explained tempering I would have never thought of that.
Awesome video… all of the ones I’ve watched so far have been really educational and helpful! Thank you Anders!!
I've never been more fascinated or entertained by the subject of "ice". Can't wait to try this.
Hi! I've not had many cocktails and I'm not a regular drinker at all, and I didn't realize how important the ice is! Thanks for your cool videos showing how to make the cocktails and essentials of what one would need to make them. :)
Your videos are so informative and fun to watch
I’ve worked in the industry for years and you genuinely make me feel passionate and like a teenager again! Well done bro
I’ve spent five years curating the “clear ice in the cooler” method the hard way only to land on this exact process. Anyone watching, follow these steps and you’ll get great results. Thanks for the video, Anders, even if it’s five years too late!
Amazing cinematography and explanation. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much! I appreciate the comment. Cheers!
Yes!! 😍 Whoa hoo! I found the mixing ice trays 🙌🏻 YAY 🎉😆 Thank you 👍🏻
I really enjoy your videos. Thanks for sharing all your knowledge. I'm enjoying cocktails so much more now.
Thank you for the videos. Very informative, easy to follow, and nice delivery.
Just discovered your channel and i love it, the explanations, cinematography and sense of humor is just great.
Will definitely help me through my bar experience thank you!
Thank you! I'm so happy you're finding value in the content. Cheers to you!
I've totally been a Beer Guy besides a shot here and there I'm so intrigued by these mixed drink and I'm wondering why I've never been exposed to them thank you thank you so much I will be heading back to the bars and trying some of these drinks and it eventually will make them myself thank you for your videos badass
I've started to make clear ice with the directional freezing style and I'm hooked on it. I don't even try to make perfect cubes, I like the "chipped off the ice berg" look with ragged edges. I also made longer pieces of ice for my high ball glasses. Making ice is a good hobby for the days you can't really make/drink cocktails.
Great tips on the clear ice! You don't need to score all around, just one side will do it.
Nice. We have great water here but I would love to try getting it more clear like this. Will work on this coming up. Thank you Anders.
One of my favorite videos yet!
Tried this for the first time yesterday.
I used some meat handling bbq gloves to hold the ice. These are basically thermal protected silicone gloves, easy to keep sterile and have a good amount of grip. Worked very well for me!
Man this is next level stuff. I switched from cutting my clear ice to using the pitchfork. Not only is it easier, but they just look cooler. Your channel has elevated my bar game to the same extent it has emptied my bank account :)...totally worth it!!!!! Ever thought about doing a series on technique? Free pouring...using pour spouts, hosting a cocktail party (bar setup) other "tips" to go with the sips you could say. Cheers!
Top quality video Anders. Just subscribed, looking forward to watching more on your channel.
tip for those with the swivel type igloo mini coolers; the disks with the logo where the lid pivots come off and reveals two screws that can be removed to take the top off. I had one laying around that I hardly used and it does the trick
Never used more than the knife to cut/shape. Going to check out the picks for sure now 👍
In complete agreement with the “freeze it all” approach. Leaving a pocket of water might net you more volume of clear ice but it’s not worth the additional effort. You also wind up with some weird shapes that boarder on too thin to be useful.
hey Anders, i'm pretty new to this but really enjoy your videos and your personality and passion are great, keep up what you're doing, because you're REALLY good at it! Cheers from Aus.
I used to make directional frozen ice at the bar. I found a way that is a bit messy but much faster than freezing the whole thing. I used a big cooler in the walk in freezer. I calculated that it took about two days to form six inches of ice. So I set an alarm for two days out, and would carefully tip out the clear ice that formed on top, and let the rest of the water dump out. Then I just cleaned up some of the jagged edges with a pick and threw it back in the freezer on a rack to rest at it's final temperature. It takes a bit of practice but gets great results.
This is a very interesting video!!! Ice is very underrated. It def makes a cocktail look nice. THANKS!!!!
Thanks, Tim! I agree. A simple thing that's pretty important. 🧊
Anders, somewhere around my fourth or fifth OEF/OIF combat tour, I used to lie awake staring at the ceiling of my hooch, calculating the stats and odds, knowing I was way overdue for a shellacking. FWIW, the way I got through that dark time was remembering that there were GREAT people back home, and also equally fantastic people I'd never meet, who made all the suckage worthwhile. THANK YOU for being one of those people. May there be more and many like you in the world, and soon. So proud of you, and wanna encourage you to keep pushing forward by sharing what you love to the highest standard. You add zest to our days. Drive on Anders!
Thank you for your words of support. And even more - thank you for your service!
Wow that's so amazing! I never new there was so much on ice and how important it is to use the proper type! I love to use big round balls of ice and ice shapes my friends always use to comment on them haha, but i like your one better!!! You are so funny too which makes your videos real keep up the good work!
Perfect tutorial and explanation. Cheers!
Anders found your videos about 3 days ago just before new year. Watching from the Philippines. I believe I am your first Filipino subscriber. Love your work man. Great content. Happy New Year.
10 second rule on that ice that fell! Ha! I really need to get into the clear ice game. Used it all the time at my old gig but have been far to lazy at home. Great vid!
Thanks, Vino! I do miss the convenience of having the clear ice on hand all the time, but this isn't so bad. Also love how you call out the 10 second rule! 😂
I found your channel while looking for cocktails and found your ice by chance. We like your ice style … subscribed
Fascinating.
Thanks Anders. Ive been doing the whole clear ice thing since lockdown in March and I have to say, it’s very cool having clear ice as needed. I have a horizontal deep freezer so I have a 6 qt and a 9 qt cooler I use. But recently, I have been drinking my bourbon neat so no need for ice. But with spring around the corner, ill be making belmont jewels so clear ice is needed
You are set 👍 It’s true, once you get used to having the clear ice on hand, there’s no going back. Cheers, Kyle! 🥃
I think I’ve saved a half dozen videos so far. Very helpful! And you’re a cheesehead. Good times on the apple river back in the 70’s. Great job.
Great vid, Anders. Was happy that you demonstrated how you made the cubes imperfect. I also found that 24 hrs in the same cooler produced a small band. I'm going to up it to 30 hours next time, but I might just go for your method of 48 hours as well.
Excellent. 30 hours could be the sweet spot. It's always disappointing when you turn the cooler over to see less clear ice than you were hoping for. Best of luck, Mark!
You're awesome anders
Dude this page is gonna blow up to millions of subscribers in no time, he is super charismatic.
Just a quick note about the Arctic Circle. I'm originally from Rovaniemi, Finland. On the arctic circle. Between April and October you won't be able to make your ice outside because it's above zero C all the time and in June-August it might be as hot as +30 C.
Excellent. I've been wonder how to do this. I would never have the freezer space. Maybe in the winter though, I can use the garage. Cheers
You're amazing Anders. Great vid!
Cheers, Tim! Thank you so much!
For serving cubes I just use a large format ice cube tray.
Put the whole tray in the cooler, close the lid, and put it in the freezer.
The slower rate of freezing makes for clear ice.
Remove and chip the edges for that rough-cut look.
🤯
I really like the appearance of clear ice. And totally agree with you that uneven ice cubes give kind of a nicer and more unique impression. Thank you for the tips. Cheers!
Agreed! A little uniqueness to each cocktail is a good thing. Cheers to you!
awesome tips!
WOW!!! very intestine and informative Thanks
I love your content so much, you are the best Anders 👍🏼
I find myself watching your videos over and over again, while sipping on my well deserved & ice cold El Presidente, Cheers 🍸
Thanks, David! I appreciate that. You’ve got me craving an El Presidente. Sounds perfect right about now!
Everyone should be like you!
This guy is next level!
Boulder art! Miss those days o’ bourbon n boulders at the Ward. Thanks, Anders.
I sure do too. Hope you’re well!
Thanks!
I like your presentations a lot, shows you love your work, and one that loves his work always does it best..
You want clear ice?? Warm up the water before you poor it into the molds..
i love this
Why am I crying at the beauty of this perfect ice?
Haha lol today I was thinking about how I can improve my ice game and tada there is video from Anders :) hope to see more from you!
Great minds think alike! I hope you found this helpful. Cheers!
@@AndersErickson already put the water in the freezer! :)
I was super intimidated by this topic before; thanks for making it at least more approachable and realistic for home bar folks!!
Thank you for the comment! I'm so happy it helped. There's no need to be intimidated. We're just freezing water 😊 🧊
@@AndersErickson agreed!! And also adding in one part sharp objects along with one or more parts alcohol 😂😜
Uh oh! That’s a scary recipe. Best to keep those ingredients separated 🙈😬
So cool making Ice could be a little hobby, and I love having a Godfather couple times a week. And these ice trays I got never come out clear. Definitely gonna try this.
Very interesting
Great videos Anders. Really enjoy them, and I can tell you are too. Glad I'm in before you get huge. Might be a good idea to do an "About Me" or channel introduction video for the incoming swarm of new fans!
Thank you so much! I appreciate the support. A channel intro is a good idea. Thanks for the comment!
This was an awesome tutorial! I found a couple of old isolated (thermos) coffee cups and they make perfect vessels to create clear ice. They produce sylinders so no cubes, but I get a sylinder with the perfect diameter for my tumblers. Thank you very much. Love your channel :)
Just found you Anders, great stuff! Love the vid! As I mentioned in a comment on your other video, I started my old fashion quest by making ice just like you pointed out in the Coleman cooler! I am going to try to full freeze method and go with irregularly shaped cubes....cool stuff!
Amazing videos!! 😎😎
Thank you so much! Cheers!
You seem like a nice guy.
And video quality is like Peter McKinnon does cocktails. Great work!
Clear ice whenever possible! That is all!
Simple and make people feel better to drink
This is exactly how I’ve been making my clear rocks. Drinking an Old Fashioned one of those rocks is such a gratifying experience. Also, I’ve been buying pebble ice for tiki drinks from Sonic. It’s like two bucks for a huge bag. Ever done that?
I can’t say I have, but I didn’t know about it until now. The price sounds alright! Thanks for the tip, Dominic!
Ice molds for the win!
Yesssssssss!!! I'm number 1!!!
Cheers to you, Tim!
@@AndersErickson Happy Friday!!!!!
This will be even more perfect with flower in the ice cubes.
Thanks for the tutorial! I tried the cooler method and didn't have much luck. What did work was an insulated ice mold, that used directional freezing. One question I did have was, what is the etiquette for reusing ice at home? If I am making drinks for a small group of friends, and someone finishes a drink in like 5 minutes, I feel like its a waste for that beautiful clear cube to get tossed. I'd never use the same ice for a different person, but if someone asked for a refill, would it be uncouth to use the ice from their last drink? Thanks!
As long as the drinker doesn't mind reusing the ice, I see no issue. I know a lot people actually prefer to use the same ice for their next drink. The reused ice is sometimes called "educated" ice or "seasoned" ice - so it's definitely a common practice. On top of that, you worked hard for those clear cubes - why not get the most out of it? Great question!
@@AndersErickson Hey thanks for responding, I didn't know "seasoned ice" was a thing, learned something new!
Guess I'm not doing too badly for a beginner. I keep a zip bag full of square cubes I use for mixing. My freezer isn't big enough for a cooler so I got the True Cube clear cube maker which is fine for crystal clear ice. A gallon size freezer bag keeps a good amount of 2" clear cubes. I need to chip it to fit a few of my rocks glasses. I've always used filtered water for my ice. Thanks for being a great teacher, man! I just wish the fancy ice presses weren't so damn expensive. I would love to have stars and diamonds for a cocktail but for the cost of those, that's quite a few more bottles of Absinthe or re-stocking the home bar. Thanks Anders!
Absolutely! I think you’re doing everything perfectly, and I’m with you on the ice presses. Very impressive results, but the cost is a real factor. As long as we can achieve a good ice chunk for sipping, we’re doing alright. 👍
Excellent and super informative!!! I need a mini cooler🤣😹😂
Genial 🤩
Okay so even as someone who does not drink hard drinks that often this is useful.
Im a little bias, but check out Ghost Ice . It is silicone trays designed for directional freezing. Great video btw
Timing is this is funny, I just ordered my cooler yesterday, going to do some freezing this weekend. Everything I've ever seen said you HAVE to catch it before it fully freezes, glad to see that I can let it freeze though and it will still work. Thanks for the vid.
PS I picked up the Y-peeler and zester you recommended, you were correct, they're both outstanding!
I'm happy to hear you're pleased with the tools, and I think you'll love the cooler! I know there's a lot of opinions on the directional freezing method, but this works well for me. I will add, try and avoid any disruption/vibrations to the cooler as it freezes for best results. I actually put a note on my freezer door to remind me not to slam the door shut or move too much around while it's freezing. Good luck!
@@AndersErickson thanks! I have a full size chest freezer in my garage so disturbing it won't be an issue, will post on IG with my first cubes!
@@AndersErickson so i have 3 daughters that get ice cream out of the freezer every 30 minutes....am i right in guessing i wont get your results lol
Hi Anders, quality videos thank you ! I was wondering if to froze the clear cubes again after making would change the quality of the cube ?
This is probably the 5th video I’ve clicked on of yours this week. I didn’t even take notice of your sub count till today but your channel is way to small! The quality of video set my expectations at 1-3 million
Hello Anders !! Thanks for another awesome video ! What do you think about using “metal” ice to keep a cocktail cold that you don’t want to dilute?
HEY!! Anders！Jason here! I just found out a new product that can help you make almost 100% clear ice in one go. It's a type of EPP cooler box, you fill it with purified water and pop it in the freezer. And then , magic happened. Since the EPP is tight enough to hold water, but loose enough to let the frozen water layer to squeeze out the air which traped in the water. I have been doing this for numbers of time, and it works perfectly. The downsides of it is when the air being squeezed out, it carries some water out too. So there will be a layer of ice at the ouside of the bottom. I think it might damage the freezer a little bit, but other than this, it's all good.
btw, the size of the cooler i use is a shallow one, but still thick enough to make large ice cube for rock glass.
I really like your channel and you explain very nice how to build a cocktail. Regarding the domestic production of clear ice - including all the other similar videos I've watched - all end up to unnecessary waste of water. I don't believe that it is worth wasting so much water for clear ice, the commercial use and production in a bar is a different question. Anyhow you make nice videos.
You make a good point - it's not ideal. I appreciate the comment, Christos!
you could use it to water plants!
I want to see a video showing Anders bar, where he works!
Just getting into mixing my drinks now, and love your videos. Quick question - I noticed that the clear ice you made monopolizes nearly the entire room in the glass you used as a tester. Doesn't this affect how much of the cocktail you can pour into the glass when you are mixing a drink? Is there a ratio you use for the glass: block of ice? Thanks!
As a scientist, re-crystialization is an outstanding purification method. If you want a cheap way to make the whole cooler clear, cut off the cloudy ice, melt the clear ice in the cooler, then re-freeze. Might take 2 cycles (freeze, cut, discard cloudy ice, thaw, freeze) to get a whole cooler full, but that will be your purest water(other than distilled).
Would have been cool to see how to make a perfect cube for those who want it. Those icebergs are pretty cool thoigh
Wonderful content)
Trying to build some of these cocktails in Moscow Russia.
I once plan to visit lake Baikal. It is said that the water their is magical, and that the ice is also of legend. If/when I finally get there, I'm going to try to make a cocktail using that ice. If you had such "Magical" ice, what cocktail would you use it for (in my case I would be in winter Siberia at the moment of making the cocktail).
If you store your clear cubes after shaping them, do you ever have problems with them freezing together?
Great video. You gotta oil that cutting board when you get a chance though...
You are so right about that! I'll get on it 😂
I had to chuckle at "or if you live in the Arctic Circle" nope, just MN with a high of -10 yesterday. Close enough
Judging by all these videos, Coleman business must be thriving.
Like Gems!!!!
To get clear ice from a tray use hot water. It takes longer to freeze and the bubbles go away.
Boiling the filtered water will remove all dissolved gases; then pour into mold and freeze.