- January 31, 2019
- Cocktails
How To Make Smoked Ice Cubes
Learn how to easily infuse your favorite cocktails with delicious and subtle smoke flavor with this simple smoke infused ice cube tutorial.
This recipe was in partnership with Lynx Grills. All opinions are my own.
As I gear up for another season of my popular Instagram and blog cocktail series the Bon Appeteach “Book Club”, I wanted to also share a few fun tricks and techniques to taking your drinks to the next level.
I recently partnered with Lynx Grills and have had a blast throwing down on my All Trident Rotisserie grill. I recently tried out their smoker box and wanted to play around with making smoked infused ice. I had originally heard of this idea from a couple I met at a local event here in Kansas City. I knew I had to try it for myself and see how it would come out.
Spoiler alert, it did and it was awesome! These smoked ice cubes are a great way to infuse smoke into your drink as the ice cube melts, providing a balanced and subtle smokiness to the cocktail. How cool is that??? Keep reading to learn how to replicate smoked ice for yourself at home!
Don’t just learn to smoke infuse with ice, try my recipe for Smoked Simple Syrup too!
“School” Supplies:
- 2 Foil Pans
- Wood or Pellets
- Ice Cube Mold
“Class” Notes:
Begin by heating your smoker to a medium heat. You want it hot enough that your wood or your pellets will create smoke. You can set the smoker up for indirect heat as well, this will allow for less water evaporation.
I filled two foil pans with about 8 cups of water each. I found that pouring the water on to the pans that were already set on the grill grates works best (otherwise it tends to slosh and spill). Allow the water to smoke for 20-30 minutes. Once the time is up, turn off your grill and leave the pans to cool before transporting (no one needs to be burned with hot water either).
Now, typically I love clear ice for my cocktails. I use a cube ice mold that allows the impurities in the water to move down into the bottom, allowing perfect clear cubes to form. I used this mold as well for this project and cannot recommend it enough.
Because it only makes 4 large cubes at a time, I stored the extra smoked water in a container in my fridge until the mold was free. The smokiness keeps the cubes foggier and makes the cocktail look really cool too (literally… ya know, it keeps it cold).
Store the extra cubes in a plastic bag or sealed container. I really love using the smoked ice cubes in my Smoked Old Fashioned , this Smoking Gun Negroni, or just pair with your favorite bourbon or whiskey. Be sure to check out all the cocktails and tips and tricks I share weekly over on my Instagram page too!
Bon Appeteach,
-L
Smoked Ice Cubes
Ingredients
- 16 cups Water
- Wood or Pellets for smoking
- 2 Foil Pans
- Ice Cube Mold
Instructions
- Heat your grill to a medium-low temperature so that the wood or pellets begin to smoke and set the grill up for indirect heat.
- Add 8 cups of water to each foil pan. I suggest using a measuring cup or pitcher to pour the water into the pans directly onto the grill to prevent sloshing water on the grates.
- Close the lid and allow the water to infuse with smoke for 25-30 minutes. Once he water has smoked, I turn off my grill (close your dampers and keep the lid closed if using a charcoal grill) and allow the pans to cool before pouring into the cube mold.
- Pour the ice into your mold and allow it to freeze. If using the mold that’s linked in the above post, I typically freeze for 18-20 hours. The cubes will not become clear because they are infused with smoke.
- Store in a container or plastic freezer bag before use.