Nothing beats the heat like a chilled cocktail, but that’s the problem with hot weather: it has a habit of warming things up—including your now-sweaty drink. How to keep those beverages icy cold in the face of blistering temps? Below, bartenders give their best tips for keeping you (and your drinks) cool all summer long.
Start with Ice
Obviously keeping drinks cold is all about the ice. But ice tends to melt—and dilute your drink. Tim Sanoz of Juvia in Miami Beach recommends “ice sphere or big ice cubes,” which melt more slowly. [Invest in some big-boy ice cube trays.] Andrew Pellegrino of Datz in Tampa figures if your ice cubes are going to melt anyway, they might as well taste good: “You can sub out an ingredient in the drink and use it to make ice cubes: drams, juices, coffee, etc.” If you've ever been curious about the whole "rosé ice cube" trick, now's your time to try it.
Doctor Your Cooler
On the go? “Throw salt in your cooler,” says Adam Marans of Claro in Brooklyn. “It’ll get cold faster and stay cold longer. And if you get some salt in your drink, well, you could probably use the electrolytes anyway.”
Use the Freezer
Nick Brodd of Posana in Ashville, North Carolina likes to “keep glassware in the freezer for making cocktails.” He also keeps frozen fruit on hand to use in drinks. And Kenneth McCoy of Public House Collective in New York keeps whole batched drinks in the freezer: “Negronis, Old Pals, Martinis and spirit-forward cocktails” all keep well in your local ice chest. “This way when you serve them to your guests, they are ice cold.” And generally, the high alcohol content keeps them from freezing.
When All Else Fails...
“Koozies still work pretty well,” says Dustin Bolf of Boiler Nine in Austin. And Dave Castillo of Workshop and Truss + Twine in Palm Springs adds, “If your drinks are getting too warm, you’re not drinking them fast enough.” To that end, Brice Peressini of The Victor in Vancouver notes, “Keep your drinks short and refill your glass regularly. The Spanish do it like this—and they know heat!”