Want to make dry ice drinks and cocktails that magically smoke and fizz? Here’s everything you need to know.
Dry ice is famous for its magical way of fizzing and boiling beverages, releasing fine plumes of smoke into the room. There’s nothing quite like holding a steaming cocktail in your hand! How can you recreate this effect at home? It is perfectly safe to make dry ice cocktails as long as you follow the safety and handling guidelines below. Read on for more and some of our best dry ice drinks, perfect for Halloween or any occasion you want to impress.
Can you put dry ice in a drink?
Dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide. When it melts, it turns into gas, giving the effect of smoking. Here’s the thing: Dry ice is so cold it can cause burns or frostbite. Is it even safe to use in drinks?
- Can you drink dry ice? No, do not swallow dry ice or touch it with bare skin. Dry ice is extremely cold (-109.3°F or -78.5°C) and touching it can cause frostbite or burns.
- Can you put dry ice in a drink? Dry ice is safe to use in cocktails provided choking is avoided and gloves and tongs are used when handling. A 1 inch piece will settle to the bottom of drinks and cocktails and be gone in about 5 minutes. You can sip on top of the drink or wait until the dry ice is completely gone from the glass for maximum safety.
- And for the children? If you’re making a kid-friendly drink like Halloween Punch, serve it in a punch bowl and pour in portions without using dry ice cubes.
Where can you buy dry ice for drinks?
You can buy dry ice at most major grocery stores, which you may not realize until you look for it! It is sold in blocks and stored in a special cooler. Look to the front of the store near the regular cool box. Here’s a store finder to help you find a store near you.
How to store dry ice
Once you’ve gotten your dry ice, here are some storage tips:
- Buy dry ice 1-2 hours before you plan to serve drinks. Dry ice doesn’t keep in the freezer or refrigerator, so you need to use it up as soon as possible.
- Once you get it home, place the plastic bag of dry ice in an open-topped cooler. Aeration is essential for dry ice because carbon dioxide is constantly being released as it “melts”. Do not store in a tightly closed container to minimize risk of explosion.
- Keep away from pets and children. Curious kids might try to touch the dry ice, so keep it out of sight until you’re ready to use it. Ask the children not to touch the dry ice without gloves.
How do you prepare dry ice for use in cocktails?
To use dry ice in cocktails you need to break off small pieces of the block. Do this immediately before serving your dry ice drinks. To do this safely, follow these instructions:
- Just before serving, drop the plastic bag on the floor several times to get large chunks. It’s an easy way to break it without touching it.
- Wear safety goggles and gloves, and use a screwdriver or an ice pick to break it up into small pieces. The ideal size for simple cocktails is 1/2 to 1 inch: heavy enough to sink into the drink but small enough to disappear after a few minutes. The ideal size for a punch bowl is to use 2 pieces of 4 to 5 inches.
- Wrap the pieces in a towel and place them upside down in a cooler until ready to serve. Do not store dry ice in the freezer.
And now… the best dry ice drinks and cocktails!
Here’s a super fun dry ice drink: Dry Ice Punch! This bright red cauldron magically simmers and boils, releasing plumes of smoke throughout the room. If that ain’t impressive, we don’t know what is! On its own, it’s a fruity punch for kids, but turn it into a boozy punch by adding some aged rum. Use it for Halloween or whenever you want a fun bowl of punch.
Ingredients: Cranberry juice, apple juice or cider, ginger ale, aged rum (optional)
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Looking for a great neon dry ice cocktail? Try the witches brew! Its neon green color may seem menacing. But take a sip and it’s tart and sweet, with flavors of melon and citrus. With the addition of dry ice, the brew will simmer and simmer as magical smoke rises through the air!
Ingredients: Midori Melon Liqueur, Cointreau, Lemon Juice
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Another excellent fizzy drink suitable for all occasions: Love Potion aka Vampire’s Kiss! This bright red drink is simply a berry-flavored vodka martini: you can use it as a spooky Halloween cocktail or as a fun, love-focused signature drink! Take a sip and it’s a sweet tart with a fruity berry finish. Decorate it with a red sugar rim and a piece of dry ice: it will bubble and cook with a constant stream of smoke!
Ingredients: Vodka, Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur, Cranberry Juice, Lemon Juice, Grenadine
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How to smoke drinks without dry ice
Can you smoke drinks without dry ice? Yes, but it uses a completely different technology: a smoking gun. Here’s how smoky cocktails differ from dry ice drinks:
- Smoked Cocktails have a smoky flavor while dry ice is tasteless.
- A smoking gun produces a small amount of smoke that dissipates immediately while dry ice bubbles continuously and smokes for 5 minutes. Also, each cocktail must be smoked separately, while dry ice cubes can simply be added to each glass at the same time.
- on the other handA smoke gun has none of the potential safety issues or special handling that dry ice requires.
- Ready to try a smoky cocktail? Go for our Smoked Old Fashioned.
The description
Want to make dry ice drinks and cocktails that magically smoke and fizz? Here’s everything you need to know.
- Preparation of the drink: Access witch’s brew, vampire’s kiss, Halloween punch recipes, or just whip up your favorite cocktail (here are some great cocktail ideas).
- Break the dry ice into pieces: Do this as close to the time you’ll be serving the drinks as possible, although you can purchase dry ice a few hours in advance. Start by laying the plastic bag containing the dry ice on the ground several times to allow it to break into large pieces. Remember never to touch dry ice with bare hands! Put on goggles and gloves. Use a chisel to break the dry ice into small pieces with a screwdriver or an ice pick. The ideal size for individual drinks is 1/2 to 1 inch, which is big enough to sink to the bottom of the drink but small enough to disappear in minutes. The ideal size for a punch bowl is two 4-5 inch pieces that fall into the punch bowl. Wrap the smaller pieces in a towel and place them upside down in a cooler until ready to serve the drinks. Do not put dry ice in the freezer.
- Add dry ice: Using tongs (don’t touch the dry ice!), place a 1 inch piece of dry ice into the glass or the larger pieces into the punch bowl, which will sink to the bottom for an instant effect. Smoke. The ice cube will disappear in about 5 minutes in a single drink or 5-10 minutes in a punch bowl. Don’t drink dry ice! Wait for the cube to disappear before enjoying your drink (or you can take sips with the dry ice on the bottom). Serve punch portions without pieces of dry ice for children. Check out the dry ice safety and handling instructions in the article above for more information!
- Category: drink
- Method: Shocked
- Kitchen: cocktails
- Diet: vegan
Keywords: Dry ice drinks, dry ice cocktails, you can drink dry ice, you can put dry ice in a drink, where you can buy dry ice for drinks
