Snow is not one size fits all. As things heat up in Florida this summer, you’ll be churning out more and more iced beverages. But frozen beverages, iced coffee, tea, soft drinks, and cocktails all require different ice for different reasons.
The density, texture, and shape of ice affect the taste and feel of your beverage. Elevate your beverage schedule when you make sure you’re serving the right type of ice for every drink you prepare.
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Mixed Drinks
Whether it’s a frozen margarita or a smoothie, blended drinks work best with half cube ice. The size of half a cube of ice is optimal for breaking up in a blender and providing a smooth texture. Smoothies should live up to their name, after all. And if you’re a fan of frozen margaritas, you know that smooth ice is essential to keeping the drink well-mixed. Using too much ice can result in an easier texture, which leads to pockets of water pooling in some parts of the drink, with a more concentrated flavor in others. Half a cube of ice will keep your hoards well mixed and balanced.
Pearl ice is another great option for smoothies. Due to its small size and lightweight texture, it blends quickly and easily.
You should know how to make clear ice
Iced Coffee And Tea
Full cubes are a great alternative to iced coffee and iced tea as they are long-lasting. The long-lasting cubes mean they’ll hold your coffee and tea mix without adding water. The Ice-O-Matic Full Cube works well for ice bagging and bulk cooling, too.
Fountain Drink
Pearl Ice is an obvious choice when it comes to fountain drinks. After finishing soft drinks, what is the next natural step? We don’t think we’re the only ones who lift the lid and chew ice when the drink is over (or even before it’s gone). Pearl ice is great to chew on as it is soft and small. It flavors the drink and provides a pleasant, refreshing experience.
Pearl Ice is also ideal for healthcare applications due to its soft texture. Patients can stay hydrated by chewing or drinking this ice with minimal effort.
Cocktails
Similar to iced coffee and tea applications, full cubes work equally well for craft cocktails because they melt slowly. This means that the flavor of your cocktail is retained without the added water. This is especially important for restaurants with outdoor seating and outdoor bars that are heavily used during the Florida summers.
Gourmet ice is another great option for any upscale bar. Its crystal clear appearance adds shine and works well in fine dining applications.
Water
Don’t overlook your glass of water! While they may not be the stars of the meal, your water glasses should look clean, fresh, and sparkling. Keep your customers hydrated with gourmet ice cream. It provides an optimal appearance for a glass of water for fine dining, receptions, and conference events as well as in any restaurant or retail application.
To learn why high-quality ice is essential for storage, display, and cooking, look no further.
Discover the right ice type for beverages at your Florida foodservice operation.
Ice in any drink requires great taste, texture, and presentation. Successful beverage programs use ice which is all three criteria. Learn how high-quality ice leads to high-quality beverages by downloading the Ice-O-Matic ice guide and brochure.
Why Are There So Many Different Types Of Ice?
Molly Patterson in Restaurant 1 Comment
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Melting snow is like origami paper.
Well, not really, but it can be made into many different shapes and forms. Each shape has a purpose and is ideal for specific needs due to size, melting time, etc. All commercial ice machine brands make cube, nugget and flake-style ice, but some also have patented forms.
Cube Ice Maker
Whether you need 100 pounds or 2,000 pounds of ice, you can certainly find a cuber that fits your needs. There are two types of cube ice machines: undercounter and modular cuber heads. Undercounter backs are perfect for bars, convenience stores, motels, or anywhere really important but need minimal snow. Modular cuber heads require an ice bin or ice dispenser to store ice. These are commonly used in restaurants, resorts, and healthcare facilities. Cubers make the following ice forms:
Perfect Cube
full dice, medium cube
Square (approximately 1″ x 1″ x 1″) cubes that cool quickly due to their large surface area. Food service establishments, bars, and hotels feel this style is perfect for their business as this beverage gives cocktails visual appeal and melts slowly.
half cube
half dice, small cube
As large as a full cube and the size of a buttercream or Starburst candy, this shape fits tightly into glasses leaving less room for the liquid that can lower costs on high markup drinks. ha
