Try Angled Ice To Elevate Your Cocktail Experience

Ice is used in cocktails mostly for a practical purpose: to keep the drink cold, of course. But there are also ways to use ice to make the drink more visually appealing — in other words, to elevate your cocktail experience. One of these is to use angled ice.

Angled ice is exactly as it sounds — it's essentially one large ice cube that sits at an angle, making a triangular shape in the cocktail glass, with one side of the ice reaching up to the rim. And the good news is that it's extremely easy to make. All you have to do is take a cocktail glass, fill it roughly a third full of water, then place it in your freezer leaning up against something else so that it's at an angle. In a few hours' time, you'll have one perfectly frozen angled ice cube — as well as a frosty glass, which is a major plus on the looks side and on the keeping-your-drink-cool side. Another perk is that, because it's such a large ice chunk, it won't melt as fast as a normal cube, giving you more time to enjoy your drink before the ice has watered it down.

Additionally, if you're looking for an even easier way to achieve the angled ice method, you can buy a silicone ice mold that will serve the same purpose. 

So which cocktails work best for the angled ice?

When it comes to deciding which cocktails to use angled ice for, it's really down to picking your favorites that are served over ice. If they are, then they'll benefit from the angled ice, practically and aesthetically. 

The good news is that so many cocktails are served this way. If you're a fan of tequila, then try a margarita or a tequila sunrise over angled ice. If you're a whiskey lover, you may opt for a whiskey sour or an old fashioned — or, simply drink it on its own over the icy wedge. The silicone molds are sometimes known as whiskey wedges for this reason: They keep your favorite Scotch on the rocks super cool. Meanwhile, a gin enthusiast may opt for a Tom Collins, while a vodka drinker could go for a Moscow mule.

Tasting Table has a list of unique cocktails that you need try at least once — many of which are perfect for creating a pleasing and pretty drink, made extra unique by being served over angled ice. For example, there's the honey Paloma, which consists of tequila, honey syrup, lime juice, club soda, and red grapefruit juice — the refreshing drink turns out to be a beautiful orange-pink color that will look even better over the angled ice. Or, you could try the Lavender Collins — a unique take on a Tom Collins — which relies on lavender-infused ice, so why not make it lavender-infused angled ice?