Infusing ice with fruits, spices, herbs, and even more alcohol is a great way to add some fun and extra flavour to your drink. If you feel ice dilutes your favourite cocktail, why not freeze cubes that contain alcohol, so your drink stays potent as the cube melts?

And if you want your cocktail to throw up a surprise with every sip, throw in some cubes frozen with fresh fruits or a dash of nutmeg or star anise that will keep altering the taste as they melt. Here are some fun ways to experiment:

 

• Boil orange zest with water to infuse the flavour. Use it to make a smoked cocktail with bourbon whisky.

 

• Kaffir lime zest as well as leaves have a strong aroma.

 

• Pomegranate ice can drastically alter the taste of your drink as it melts. Green apple is another top choice.

 

• Flowers won’t add much flavour, but they’ll sure as hell pretty up your lady’s glass.

 

• Add frozen dragon fruit sticks to 60 ml vodka, 1 muddled yellow kiwi, 1 muddled peach, a splash of soda and lots of crushed ice to make Ming Yang’s MY Martini.– Images and inputs courtesy Ming Yang at Taj Land’s End, Bandra

 

Try these recipes too:

Mumbai Mary – Tomato ice to spruce up your Bloody Mary

Ingredients

For the Mumbai Mary Mix:

8 fresh tomatoes

8 curry leaves

2 red chillies

6 coriander stems

1 tsp tamarind pulp

A pinch of cinnamon

1 tsp kokum juice

For the Chutney Dust:

10 roasted curry leaves

1.5 tsp black salt

1 tsp dry chilli flakes

1 tsp palm sugar

For the tomato ice cubes

90 ml tomato puree

Method

For the Mumbai Mary Mix:

Roast tomatoes and remove their skin.

Cook them in a pan with the rest of the ingredients.

Sauté for 3-4 minutes. Allow them to reach room temperature before blending.

Strain the mixture and set it aside.

 For the Chutney Dust:

Pound all the ingredients in a mortar or grinder till they reach a thin, powdery consistency.

For the Tomato Ice Cubes:

Freeze the puree in ice trays.

 Assembling the drink:

Fill a Boston shaker with 3-4 tomato ice cubes. Pour in 120 ml of the Mumbai Mary mix. Add 60 ml Belvedere Vodka, which contains hints of white pepper and spice. Pour the mixture in an old fashioned glass, rimming it with 15 ml lime juice and chutney dust. Garnish with a curry leaf stem or cinnamon stick.

– Courtesy St. Regis Mumbai

Julio Roberto – With ice that makes your drink more potent

Ingredients

45 ml Don Julio Blanco Tequila

15 ml Campari

45 ml sweet vermouth

3 dashes angostura bitters

Method:

Pour the Campari into ice trays and freeze.

Assemble the drink by shaking ingredients well with ice. Single strain in a rock glass.

– Courtesy Four Seasons Mumbai