“What’s cooler than being ice cold? Dry Ice!”
Chef Eric
“What’s cooler than being cool? Ice Cold!”
Hey Ya! by Outkast
When drinking on a hot summer afternoon you want your drink cold. Normally we throw a bunch of ice in a blender with something called ‘daiquiri mix’ and give it a whirl. But why would we want to add water to our drink? We end up with a slushy mess that gets more and more watered down as it melts. What if there was a better way? There is!
Dry ice, also know as solid carbon dioxide, “melts” at −109.3 °F (−78.5 °C). And instead of melting into a liquid that would water down our drink, it sublimates into a gas. By adding this to our drink we get a super cold beverage, that is just slightly carbonated. It is also a lot more available. Most grocery stores carry it, some gas stations, even the liquor store near my house. And it’s cheap, at less than $2 per pound.
But first we need to make our own daiquiri mix using fresh strawberries, sugar, and limes. If you aren’t a fan of strawberries, or they aren’t available, you can substitute blueberries, blackberries, or even chunks of pineapple or mango.
In a non-reactive sauce pan, add about a dozen hulled strawberries, 1/4 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of water, along with the juice and zest of 4 limes.
Bring all of this up to a boil and then simmer for about 10min. You can leave this as is, or hit it with a stick blender then pass through a sieve to get rid of the seeds. You should end up with about 1 cup of syrup, enough for 2 drinks.
If you are in a hurry and really just want a drink now, put your syrup in a blender with 4oz of white rum, a splash of cointreau, and a cup of ice. Blend on high then enjoy.
If you want to have a little fun, take one pound of dry ice and carefully put it in a clean tea towel. Using a rolling pin, smash it into small pieces then put it into a small container. Using the end of the rolling pin, continue to smash the dry ice until it is very small grains like sugar. You don’t want any large chunks because they won’t mix in and could cause injury.
Put your syrup in a blender with 4oz of white rum, and a splash of cointreau. With the blender running, add the dry ice one spoonful at a time, pausing between each addition to enjoy the smokey cloud that emerges from the blender.
Keep an eye on the consistency and eventually the whole mixture will start to thicken up. If you add too much dry ice it will turn into a solid block.
Pour into your favourite glass, add a garnish, and enjoy.
Just a quick note about safety: As I mentioned above, dry ice is extremely cold and can cause frost bite if you touch it directly, so use caution when handling it. Another concern is that as it “melts” it becomes carbon dioxide, which, if inhaled, will cause suffocation. Be careful when transporting it so that you don’t fill your car with CO2 and pass-out. Lastly, I mentioned the importance of breaking up the dry ice into very fine pieces. Larger chunks can be dangerous if ingested. Now knowing how dangerous this is, doesn’t it make you want to try it even more?
And if you’re in the Bay Area, and want to feature great summer cocktails at your next party, contact me to schedule a tasting.