Cracked ice is essentially regular ice cubes that have been tapped with something heavy, forcing the cube to break into smaller pieces. These pieces are ideal for cooling straight-up drinks during the mixing stage in how their total surface area is greater than the ice cube, never mind the fact that they consequentially also melt somewhat quicker. They are also good for sweet, juice-based cocktails, and an absolute must for drinks that are prepared in a blender for how such appliances cannot handle whole ice cubes. Although technically they could be used for any type of drink, the following five are ones that always feature cracked ice instead of crushed ice or cubed ice:

Mary Pickford is a cocktail from the 30s that is named after one of the first ever movie stars of the world. To prepare it, pour four centiliters of white rum, three centiliters of unsweetened pineapple juice and roughly one teaspoon grenadine into a mixing glass half-filled with cracked ice. Stir it well, then pour it into a chilled cocktail glass and decorate it with a maraschino cherry.

Mary Pickford may have been a celebrity in her days, but since then the Dry Martini has come to surpass both her and her cocktail\’s stardom by far. Combine five parts of gin with two part dry vermouth over cracked ice in a mixing glass. Unlike a certain secret agent\’s preference it should always be stirred, as otherwise the alcohol could become bruised and the flavor altered. Strain it into a cocktail glass, dropping in an olive or two as garnish prior to serving it.

The Cosmopolitan is often mistaken for a Martini as it is normally served in a cocktail glass. This recipe is also served iceless, for which the cracked ice goes into the cocktail shaker only. Add two parts of lemon vodka, one part each of triple sec and cranberry juice and the juice of half a lime. Shake and serve in the aforementioned glass type with a lime wedge as garnish.

Peruvian pineapple is a so-called blender drink based on Peruvian pisco. Four parts of this drink go into the blender together with two parts honey water, one part fresh lime juice, one part whipping cream, a quarter teaspoon nutmeg and roughly a quarter cup of roasted pineapple chunks. Blend for fifteen to twenty seconds, then add a quarter cup of cracked ice and blend until smooth. Serve in a large martini glass with a pineapple wedge and a sprinkle of nutmeg as garnish.

Batidas are also blender cocktails that originate from South America. Immensely popular in Brazil, they are based on Brazilian rum and come in many versions, the often only distinction between each being the fresh seasonal fruits they are flavored by. The basic recipe is for two parts cachaca rum, one part sweetened condensed milk and a splash of coconut milk. These are combined in a blender together with the fresh fruit of choice and blended for ten to fifteen seconds. Next a cup of cracked ice is inserted, after which the mix is blended for another three to five seconds. It tends to be served in a rocks glass, garnished with a slice of the seasonal fruit it is based on.

It is impossible to provide a full overview of the cocktail recipes for which cracked ice are needed. The above are but a few; more can easily be located with a little research.

Author Bio: Cocktail Zen provides cocktail recipes and martini recipes to any one with a web connection.

Category: Food and Drinks
Keywords: cocktail, cocktails, margarita, mojito, martini, cocktail recipes