Let's start with ice. Size matters. The smaller, the better. Smaller ice cubes blend into smoother frozen drinks. Smaller cubes also have more surface area to quickly chill a shaken drink without watering it down. The temperature of your ice matters, too. Right out of the freezer, ice is very hard. If you let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before throwing it into your blender, the ice will soften and make a smoother drink. Just remember to drain off any water before using the ice. Crushed ice is another way to ensure smooth frozen drinks. To crush ice without a machine, simply place your ice in a heavy plastic bag, seal it, and smash the ice with a heavy pot or pan. Drain off any water before using the crushed ice. Blocks of ice are great for floating in pitchers and punch bowls. To ensure that the block of ice fits your punch bowl or pitcher, first make sure the container you use to make the ice fits inside your punch bowl or pitcher. For free-form ice, use watertight, plastic Ziploc bags.
Don’t fill them more than three-quarters full since water expands as it freezes. To remove the ice from the container or bag, dip it into hot water for a few seconds to loosen things up. Remember to drain any water before using the ice. Fruit juices make blocks of ice and ice cubes that are both functional and pretty. Simply fill your container or ice-cube tray with the juice of your choice instead of water. Your drinks will stay cold without having their flavor diluted. Frozen fruit (such as strawberries or melon balls) also makes a decorative and functional addition to ice cubes, in both punch bowls and glasses. Fruit and fruit juices are indispensable for making great party drinks. Unless otherwise indicated, use fresh fruit in your frozen drinks. Always smell the fruit before you buy it. If it smells sweet, chances are it is. Many recipes call for semifrozen fruit. To do this, simply wash, pit (if necessary), and slice (if required) your fruit, then place it on a plate in your freezer for an hour or so before making your drinks.
The fruit should be icy but not solid. Exotic and tropical fruit juices and nectars are showing up in stores everywhere. Flavors like youngberry, lychee, mango, banana, papaya, guava, guanabana, tamarind, passion fruit, red and black currant, pear, melon, strawberry, and peach are becoming as commonplace as orange and pineapple. A few good quality brands to look for include Ceres, Looza, Yoga, Goya, and Libby.
If you are making drinks with alcohol, buy the best liquor you can comfortably afford. No amount of lime juice, passion fruit syrup, or sugar can hide the taste of cheap booze. Fruit-flavored liqueurs are another important part of most mixed drinks. They come in a wide variety of flavors and prices. Your local liquor store owner should be able to help you choose the right ones to buy. It’s important to remember that fruit-flavored liqueur is different from eau de vie. Eau de vie is a clear, distilled brandy with a lot of alcohol, a nice fruity aroma, but very little sugar and very little fruit flavor. Eau de vie is not on the ingredient list for most fruit-flavored drinks.
Fruit-flavored schnapps and liqueurs called “crème de…” are perfect for making fruit cocktails. For example, crème de banane, crème de cassis, and crème de framboise—they are all rich and sweet and, despite their names, contain no dairy. Fruit-flavored brandies are also very good for fruit cocktails. They are usually not as sweet as “crème de…” or other fruit liqueurs, but they do have plenty of fruit flavor. Superfine sugar is called for throughout this site. It’s available in most supermarkets. Sometimes it’s called instant dissolving sugar or bar sugar. Unlike regular sugar, superfine sugar will never leave your guests with that “sandy” feeling between their teeth.
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